ПРО АВТОРА

1.Many of the books and stories have been turned into films
and even musicals, including Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory and Matilda.

2. He died on 23 November 1990. Every year, - on what would

have been his birthday - there's been a special Roald Dahl Day
to celebrate his stories and their characters. When Roald Dahl
died in 1990, he was buried with some of his favourite things.
3. Roald Dahl spent around four hours every day writing
stories from his garden shed.
He is said to have had a cosy old armchair and a specially
designed writing board which would sit on his lap.
4. He would also only write his stories using a pencil and
yellow paper.
5. Before he became an author, Roald Dahl was a pilot for
the Royal Air Force.
During World War Two, he flew a Hawker Hurricane plane.
6.He never learned how to type.
КОРОТКА SUMMARY
"Lamb to the Slaughter" is a short story written by Roald Dahl. The story
revolves around Mary Maloney, an ordinary housewife who receives shocking
news: her husband, Patrick, is leaving her. In a fit despair, Mary strikes
Patrick in the head with a frozen leg of lamb, killing him instantly.
To cover up her crime, Mary create a plan. She prepares the lamb for dinner
and then visits the grocery store to create an alibi. When the police arrive to
investigate Patrick's murder, they are shoked and puzzled by the absence of
a murder weapon.
3. The title "Lamb to the Slaughter" leads that the story might be very dark
and full of all sorts of bloody events, as I like because The phrase "like a
lamb to the slaughter" is a well-known idiom that is often used to describe a
situation in which someone is into a dangerous or harmful situation without
realizing the danger and impact.
When I read the title, for some reason I immediately imagined a lamb. a
regular cute fluffy good lamb. but then I thought about what they usually do
with a lamb. they kill it and eat it. For me, it also symbolized a kind of
innocence, the helplessness that a lamb is in front of a human.
VOCABULORY
1., anxiety is a feeling of unease or nervousness. In the text it was
mentioned that the woman occasionally glanced at the clock because of
of her husband's arrival, but she did so without anxiety.
2. Placid means calm, peaceful or excited. In the context of the text, the
woman's eyes are described as having a "new placid look," which means
her eyes appeared calm and serene.
3. Luxuriate means to take great pleasure or enjoyment in something, In
the text, the woman loved to luxuriate in the presence of her husband.
4. Mantel- the responsibilities of
an important position or job, especially as given from
the person who had the job to the person who replaces them
5. The word "administered" is used to convey the idea that the action was
not accidental but was executed with intent, likely as an act of violence.
6.In the context of the text, "consoling" refers to the act of providing
comfort, sympathy, or emotional support to someone who is distressed or
grieving. The characters in the text are trying to say comforting and
reassuring things to Mrs. Maloney, who is in a state of shock
7 Hospitality - The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of
guests or visitors.
. Mrs. Maloney offers hospitality to the police officers who have come to
her house to investigate her husband's murder. She invites them to eat
the lamb that is cooking in her oven
8. Tranquil means calm, peaceful, and free from disturbance. The text
describes the woman's as "curiously tranquil" when she was bent over
her sewing.
9.In the given text, the word "club" is used metaphorically to describe the
impact of the big frozen leg of lamb when it was used as a weapon to
strike the man.
The word "club" in this context serves to emphasize the force
. It suggests that the impact of the lamb leg was as powerful and
damaging as if she had struck him with a heavy, blunt object like a steel
club.
10. Blissful - A state of extreme happiness or joy.
Blissful describes a state of extreme happiness, joy, or contentment. In the
text, the woman refers to the time of day when she is with her husband as
a "blissful time of day."
11."Frantic" describes a state of extreme anxiety, fear, or panic, In the
text, Mary Maloney mentions the possibility of becoming "frantic with
grief and horror" if she were to find something unusual, tragic, or terrible
when she returns home.
12.in the text, "bewildered" describes the woman's emotional state. It
means she is feeling confused, disoriented, and perplexed. Her eyes are
described as "large, bewildered eyes," indicating that she is looking at her
husband with confusion
13. In the context of the text, a "sledgehammer" is a large, heavy tool It
has a heavy In the text, the police officers are discussing the murder of
Patrick Maloney, and one of them mentions that the doctor believes
Patrick's skull was smashed as if it had been struck with a sledgehammer.
14. On the premises - Refers to being inside or within a specific location.
In the text, "on the premises" means within the confines of a particular
location or property. The police officers are discussing the possibility that
the murder weapon may still be at the scene of the crime, which is Patrick
and Mary Maloney's home.
15. The word "congealed" is used in the text to describe a physical
condition.
"Congealed" refers to a state in which a liquid, typically blood in this
context, has solidified or become thickened due to cooling or coagulation.
In the text, there is a mention of a "small patch of congealed blood on the
dead man's head
16.Dazed" refers to a state of mental confusion, shock, or bewilderment.
In the context of the text, the woman becomes "watching him with a kind
of dazed horror" as her husband shares his news.
17. Exasperated - Mad or irritated to an extreme degree.
Exasperated-annoyed, especially because you can do nothing
to solve a problem:
2. Match the words with their definitions
Anxiety - A feeling of unease or worry.
Tranquil - Calm and peaceful.
Punctually - Being on time or prompt.
Blissful - A state of extreme happiness or joy.
Amber - An orange-yellow color or fossilized tree resin.
Bewildered - Feeling confused or perplexed.
Instinct - A natural, inherent inclination or behavior.
Club - In this context, it seems to refer to being annoyed or irritated.
Peculiar - Unusual or strange.
Frantic - In a state of extreme agitation or panic.
Grief - A deep sorrow, especially caused by the death or departure of a
loved one.
Congealed - Turned from a liquid state to a solid state.
On the premises - Refers to being inside or within a specific location.
Exasperated - Mad or irritated to an extreme degree.
Consoling - Providing comfort or solace to someone who is sad.
Hospitality - The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of
guests or visitors.
3. Using dictionaries pick up POLICE and POLICE PROCEDURES words.
Make a list of at least 15 words. What are their meanings?
Patrol - The act of regularly inspecting a specific area, often performed by
police officers to prevent and address crimes.
Arrest - The act of taking a person into custody by law enforcement
officers, typically due to suspected criminal activity.
Interrogation - The process of questioning a suspect, witness, or person of
interest by the police to obtain information related to a crime.
Investigation - The systematic process of gathering evidence, facts, and
information to solve a crime or determine its circumstances.
Search Warrant - A legal document issued by a judge or magistrate that
authorizes law enforcement to search a specific location for evidence
related to a crime.
Miranda Rights - A set of legal warnings and rights that must be read to a
suspect in custody, including the right to remain silent and the right to an
attorney.
Evidence - Information, objects, or materials that are collected and used
in a legal investigation to prove or disprove a fact or a case.
Suspect - A person believed to be involved in or connected to a crime, but
not yet proven guilty.
Witness - Someone who has observed a crime, accident, or event and
provides testimony or information about what they saw.
Forensics - The scientific methods and techniques used to collect, analyze,
and interpret physical evidence in criminal investigations.
Mirandize - To inform a suspect of their Miranda rights before questioning
them in custody.
Criminal Code - A set of laws and regulations that define and classify
criminal offenses and penalties.
Perp Walk - The practice of walking a arrested suspect in public, often to
the police vehicle, as part of the booking process.
Witness Protection Program - A program designed to protect the safety
and identity of witnesses who are at risk due to their cooperation in
criminal cases.
4. Vocabulary: Feelings and Reactions.
a) Anxiety-to worry-anxious
b) –
c) Horror-to horrify- horrifying,horrified
d) A shock-to shock-shocked
e) A surprise-to surprise-surprising,surprised
f) An exasperation- to exasperate- exasperated,exasperating
g) A satisfaction-to satisfy-satisfying – ed
h) A worrier-to worry-worried
i) Fascination-to fascinate-fascinating-ed
j) A pleasure-to please-pleasant
k) An annoyance-to annoy-annoying-ed
l) An amusement-to amuse-amusing
m) An outrage-to outrage-outrageous
n) A fright-to frighten-frighteneng-ed
o) A charm-to charm-charming
p) An embarrassment-to embarrass-embarrassing
q) A frustration-to frustrate-frustrated-ing
r) A delight-to delight-delighting-ed
s) A disgust-to disgust-disgusting-ed
t) A disappointment-to disappoint-disappointing-ed
III. TEXT ANALYSIS
Setting: What do the first several paragraphs of the story suggest about
the household, the main characters’ relationship, and their lifestyle
together? Be specific.
The story started very calmly like an ordinary family and peaceful
household. The author describes Mary Maloney waiting for her husband,
Patrick, to return home from work.
The main characters, Mary and Patrick Maloney, seem to have an
ordinary family relationship. Mary is described as a loving wife who is
eager to please her husband. She goes out of her way to make him
comfortable, such as preparing his favorite meal and ensuring that his
drink is ready when he arrives home.
At first, I didn't see any tension between the couple. it's a simple family
where julia waits for her husband to come home from work, sewing
something, and her husband comes home tired from work. But then when
the author says that Mary starts talking to him only after he has a glass of
whiskey, I was already alarmed and tension appeared. Perhaps Vana was a
little afraid of him because he seemed to me to be a very direct and firm
character. I think he's the kind of man who tells a woman to sit down or
not to talk when men are talking.
At the beginning of the story, how does Mary feel about her husband?
How do we know?
At first, Mary seemed to me a very calm and caring woman. At some
moments, she even seemed wimpy when talking to her husband. I think
she is a homely girl who does not chase money or work and her main goal
in life is a beautiful family and a satisfied husband. At some points she
behaved not like a wife but like a mother to her husband. For example,
when she offered him food several times and was comfortable for him.
That is, everything to please her husband.
How can you tell that something is disturbing Patrick? How can you tell
that Patrick is feeling nervous and perhaps ashamed? Does Mr. Maloney
produce an impression of a rather pleasant or unpleasant man?
Something was definitely bothering Patrick because he was very
nervous.We can see this when he drank many glasses of whiskey.
and he did it very quickly because Mary could hear the ice cubes
banging on the bottom of the glass over and over again.He was
also silent and answered questions very briefly.He lifted his glass
and drained it in one swallow although there was still half of it, at
least half of it left.
He immediately struck me as an unpleasant man. This was evident
in the conversation. He seems to me to be a very straightforward
and stern man, and he has a profession. It was as if he didn't want
to talk to Mary, and if he did, it was short. And with some kind of
commands. For example, he said sit down, and I said sit down. I
imagined his voice in my head to be very rough.
The writer does not tell us Mr. Maloney’s news. What news do
you think it is? Why do you think this? Why does the writer
choose not to tell us Mr. Maloney’s news?
I think it was news like I cheated on you or I have another family. I
fell in love with another woman. Something like that because the
news was very shocking for Mary and as we can see fatal for
Patrick. And we shouldn't forget that they were expecting a child, so
I think it was definitely something serious.
And he also said that if anyone found out about it, it would be a
problem for his work, so it was not good news.
I think the author didn't give us the exact reason for creating a lot of
tension for the readers. And to make us think in our heads and
come up with this news ourselves. Because there are so many
people and so many opinions, and everyone has a different one.
This gives the story a new sense for the reader.
When Mr. Maloney tells his wife something that will be “a bit of
a shock to her”
it is the confirmation of sth that he has suspected for a long time.
Because there was a line where he said that now is not the time to
tell it, but that was the only moment. I think he just couldn't stand
living with it anymore. It was just not the right moment to do it. Also,
Patrick told everything very quickly, literally 5 minutes ago, which
proves that he has been living with this for a long time and maybe
he thought about when and how to tell his wife a hundred times.
Mary thinks of killing her husband
-when he says that he is “going out”
I think it happened at that moment because for a long time she
denied it and pretended not to hear it, but when she heard for the
second time that Patrick was leaving and she didn't have to cook
dinner, she realized it was true and she was awake. And then
immediately, without hesitation, she went to get that piece of lamb
and did it. Her movements were like automatic and programmed by
some kind of command. That is, she went, took, killed. Everything
was very clear. And at the end of it, what I thought she said was,
"Well, I killed him. He's dead."
When Mary puts the lamb in the oven
she does it unconsciously; she would have done this anyway.
At this point in the story, Mary is not actively planning to hide a
murder weapon. She is still processing the shocking turn of events
and has not formulated any deliberate plan. Her actions seem to be
driven by a mix of shock and habit. there is a brief moment where
she mechanically goes about her routine, seemingly on autopilot.
Crime. What is Mary’s plan?
After realizing the gravity of what she has done, Mary begins to
formulate a plan. She practiced the intonation of her voice for a long
time so that the seller would not notice anything and everything
would look like normal. She decides to establish an alibi by going to
the grocery store and interacting with the grocer, Sam, to create the
appearance that she was not at home when the murder occurred.
Mary returns home and acts as though she has just discovered her
husband's body. She raises the alarm and contacts the police,
portraying herself as the grieving widow who had no idea what
happened.
What is her motivation for this plan?
I think her motivation for making this plan was self-defense. I think
nobody wants to go to prison. And also because she was pregnant,
she was thinking about the life of her child. In the text it was said
that she was thinking that if a woman is pregnant, she is punished
immediately or waits until the child is a few months old. She wants
to avoid these consequences and protect her own future.
Why is it important to cover up what she has done?
Covering up the murder is crucial for Mary because it allows her to
escape punishment for her crime. She wants to avoid suspicion and
maintain her freedom. Additionally, she may want to preserve her
reputation in the eyes of society, as being known as a murderer
would have severe social and legal consequences.
Why is Mary talking so much and giving the grocer so much
information?
Mary talks to the grocer, Sam, and provides him with detailed
information about her shopping and her husband's preferences to
create an alibi.By giving the grocer this information, she aims to
establish a credible SITUATION that she was out of the house
during the time of the murder.
And she also knew very well how the investigation takes place and
how the police act in such cases because her husband worked in
this field, so she knew exactly what to do.
In what point of view is this story being told? How do we
know? What helps us to clarify point of view even further?
Whose thoughts do we not know? How does this point of view
create suspense?
We know the story is told from a third-person point of view because
the narrator consistently uses third-person pronouns such as "she"
and "her" to refer to Mary. The narrator provides insight into Mary's
thoughts and emotions but does not have access to the inner
thoughts of other characters.
The narrator's limited perspective means that readers only know
what Mary is thinking and feeling.This lack of information keeps
readers guessing about how events will unfold.
Police. Do the police seem to suspect that Mary might be a
murdered? How can you tell?
How are the police doing Mary a favor by eating the leg of
lamb? Why do the police agree to
Mary’s request and eat?
At first, the police do not suspect Maria of murder. They see her as
a widow and have no reason to suspect her
Mary's actions, pretending to have found her husband's body,
screaming for help, and looking confused, give the impression of a
shocked
As for the policemen who eat the lamb's leg, they unwittingly do
Mary a favor by consuming the murder weapon. This act works in
her favor, as it eliminates key evidence that could potentially link her
to the crime. The police do not know that they are eating the lamb
that killed Patrick.
The police officers may genuinely believe that Mary is in a state of
shock and distress due to her husband's death. Accepting the
meal might be seen as an act of kindness or empathy toward a
grieving widow.
Who is “lamb to the slaughter” in this story?
I think it could be Mary because we seem to know only the story
and see from her point of view. We don't know Patrick's feelings and
his whole story. We don't know what happened in the past. And the
author describes her as a calm, loving, very sensitive woman who is
not capable of murder. But I think it was somewhere deep inside
her, because a person cannot have only good qualities. She was
not perfect.
What do you think of Mary’s giggling at the end of the
story?
Mary's laughter can be seen as a sign of a nervous
breakdown or psychological trauma. She has just committed
murder and successfully deceived the police, and the
emotional strain of her actions might be overwhelming. Her
laughter could be a manifestation of the stress and
emotional turmoil she's experiencing.
Dramatic irony
Mary's Innocence: Throughout the story, the police and
others perceive Mary as a grieving and innocent widow. The
dramatic irony lies in the fact that readers know she is the
one who murdered her husband with the leg of lamb.
The Murder Weapon: When the police officers accept Mary's
offer to eat the leg of lamb, they are unknowingly consuming
the murder weapon. Readers are aware of this fact, while
the characters have no idea.

The Investigation: The police are investigating Patrick

Maloney's murder, but they do not suspect Mary at all. In
fact, they view her as a victim of the crime, even though she
is the perpetrator.

Mary's Alibi: Mary goes to great lengths to establish an alibi

by visiting the grocery store after the murder. The grocer
and the police officers have no reason to doubt her story,
but readers know that it's all part of her plan to cover up her
crime.
Situational irony
Mary Maloney serves the lamb to the police officers with a smile,
and they eat it without suspicion, thinking it's just a regular meal.
However, they are unwittingly consuming the very instrument Mary
used to murder her husband. This situation is ironic because the
officers, who are there to investigate the murder, are essentially
"eating" the evidence that could incriminate Mary. It adds a layer of
dark humor and irony to the story, highlighting the unexpected and
absurd turns of events.
ТЕМИ
 Mary initially conforms to the role of a dutiful and submissive wife, catering to her
husband's needs and creating a comfortable home for him.
 The theme is further developed when Mary's transformation from a meek housewife
into a murderer subverts these traditional roles. Her actions challenge societal
expectations of wives and women.
 Revenge:
  Revenge is a central theme in the story, as Mary's murder of her husband,
Patrick, is driven by his shocking announcement of his intention to leave her.
Her act of violence is a vengeful response to his betrayal and abandonment.
 Revenge is also present in Mary's meticulous plan to cover up the crime,
seeking to outwit the police and avoid facing the consequences of her
actions.
 Lying and Deception:

 Lying and themes in the story. Mary lies to

the police officers, feigning ignorance of her
husband's murder and pretending to be a
grieving widow.
 The theme of lying is further emphasized by
the police officers, and consume the leg of
lamb, which is the murder weapon.
 And it reminded me of a series called Why
Women Kill, which is also based on a lie.
 No violence should be necessary (g): Minimizing harm to others is crucial. A
perfect murder would avoid physical harm or violence.
 It should be easy to arrange (a): A murder plot should be straightforward to plan
and execute to reduce the risk of being caught during the preparation phase.
 It should take place in a lonely, isolated place (e): Reducing the chances of
witnesses or surveillance can make it easier to commit the crime without detection.
 It should leave no clues (b): Eliminating evidence or any traces that could link the
murderer to the crime is essential for avoiding suspicion.
 It should be quick (i): Reducing the duration of the crime can minimize the
likelihood of being discovered during the act.
 There should be no noise (c): A silent execution of the crime can help avoid
attracting attention from others nearby.
 It should look like an accident (h): If the death appears accidental, investigators
may not initially suspect foul play.
 It should look like suicide (d): Similar to appearing as an accident, staging the
death as suicide can divert suspicion away from murder.
 The murderer should have a good alibi (j): Having a credible alibi can help the
murderer avoid being connected to the crime during the investigation.
 It should be cheap (f): Minimizing costs can reduce the financial footprint and
potential leads for investigators, but this is of lesser importance than other factors.