Dr. Watson is the narrator in ‘The Speckled Band’ and he speaks in past tense, therefore, he didn’t know all that had happened, whereas in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ we d not know who the narrator is and we got to know almost everything that happened.
I think that ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is more descriptive from the beginning, whereas ‘The Speckled Band’ has a lot of in-depth detail during the story; also, the speech in both stories is very much different. In ‘The Speckled Band’ it is more formal and posh whereas in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, the speech is more informal and laid back. This makes me think that Sherlock Holmes is more professional in his work and the story is older and the police officers in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ may know Mrs. Maloney personally and that it is more modern than ‘The Speckled Band’.
The titles of the stories are very important because they can make the reader think what the story could be about before reading. ‘The Speckled Band’ makes me think that there is something like a band in the story; maybe it could have been a band to strangle the victim with? I know now that the Band is actually a snake, but that is what I thought it could have been before I read the story. ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is a play on words, it made me think that the victim could have got battered to death like a ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, although Mrs. Maloney killed her husband by hitting him over the head with a leg of lamb, hence ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’.
Mrs. Mary Maloney is the murderer in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ she seems to be a very quiet lady who loves her husband dearly. Not really the type of person to kill anyone. Dr. Roylott of Stoke Moran, however, seems to be a very ill mannered man with a very short fuse. He seems to be a blatant murderer, you can tell this because he storms into Sherlock Holmes’s home and speaks very rudely to him and Mrs. Maloney sits at her house watching the clock for her beloved husband to come home. I think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted the reader to think that Dr. Roylott was such an obvious murderer that he couldn’t possibly be the killer, when in fact, he was. I also think that Roald Dahl wanted the reader to feel sorry for Mrs. Maloney and understand why she committed such a crime. My attitude to Dr. Roylott during the story did not change whereas it did for Mrs. Maloney, she fed the police officers the murder weapon, which was very intelligent and in some way humerous.
The detectives in both stories are very much different, Sherlock Holmes is the main character in ‘The Speckled Band’ whereas the detectives in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ don’t play a brilliantly important role- except the fact that they eat the murder weapon. I think that Sherlock Holmes is more professional, and thinks more logically and the detectives in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ seem to not know what they’re doing. I think that Sherlock Holmes would have suspected Mrs. Maloney from the beginning and would have possibly caught her out. He may have made the mistake of eating the murder weapon, but I think he would have suspected it at first. The fact that Sherlock Holmes is more professional shows me that he would have not let his emotional involvement sway his judgement because she was an acquaintance.
The stereotype for a murder mystery is usually in a big, scary, old house in the middle of nowhere. This is exactly where ‘The Speckled Band’ is set. ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is set in a neighbourhood, where most people wouldn’t expect a murder to occur.
When I read about Stoke Moran I think that it has been ‘left to go to ruin’, because it says, “in one of the wings the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards. The roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin.” The reference made to the ‘ill-trimmed’ lawn indicates that he outside is no better cared for. By contrast, Mrs. Maloney’s house is described as ‘warm and clean’ and a description of ‘two table lamps alight’ brings to mind coziness and comfort. The conversation that took place between Mrs. Maloney and Sam, the greengrocer, indicates a close-knit community where everyone knows and is friends with each other.
I think that the atmosphere in Mary Maloney’s house would be one of warmth and happiness, whereas in Stoke Moran it seems cold and unwelcoming. From the two descriptions I would expect that evil deeds would be more likely to occur in Stoke Moran. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle cleverly describes Stoke Moran as having two curving wings, like the ‘claws of a crab’, which does not bring to mind a small or angular house. Although the description of Mary Maloney’s house is brief you feel that the house is relatively small and compact, with all the necessary needs, such as ice cubes, slippers and whiskey. Both houses aren’t very similar at all since one seems large and and the other seems small and welcoming.
Holmes’ final comment in ‘The Speckled Band’ leaves you believing that Dr. Grimesby Roylott deserved everything he received and that Holmes felt no responsibility for his death. In this respect the author passed judgement. Mary Maloney’s giggling leaves you thinking she believes she has got away with it, there is no evidence that the author is passing judgement.
Over the last hundred years I think that murder mysteries and thrilling tales have become more gory and graphic. Instead of a stereotypical story, anything could happen in modern stories.
I also think attitudes towards murder have changed over the last century aswell. Back in Victorian times, no one would suspect a teenager of murder, now a teenager would most probably be the first suspect.