Critical Evaluation
Lamb to the Slaughter
Question: Write a critical evaluation of a short story that you have read which features an unusual character. Say what the story was about, describe the unusual character and comment on how the author made the story interesting for you.
'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl is a short story which I have read recently. The story is written in third person, and is mainly set in the house of the two main characters Mary Maloney, who is expecting a child and her husband Patrick Maloney, who works as a policeman. The house as we are told is in a city in America. When Mary thinks her life is going fine it takes a turn for the worst when her husband arrives home from work one day acting somewhat unusual. We are not told the circumstances why, but he tells Mary that he is leaving her, presumably for another woman. Mary at that moment acts perfectly fine and shows no reaction to the news she has just been told. She then calmly walks down to the cellar to get a frozen leg of lamb and then walks back upstairs and again into the sitting room where Patrick is and asks if he would like his tea. He then loses his temper and shouts at her with his back to her refusing to turn round. She consequently raises the leg of lamb high above her head and brings it down and strikes Patrick on the back of the head. She then takes a several steps back and he sways for a few seconds then crashes to the ground. Mary acts remarkably calm as she decides what to do. After going to the shop and buying some vegetables she returns home and phones the police as though she has just come back and discovered her dead husband. Whilst all the commotion is going on the lamb is in the oven cooking. In the end Mary suggests that the hardworking policemen should have some tea, after much persuasion from Mary the policemen go into the kitchen and are told to help themselves to the lamb, which unknown to them is the murder weapon used to kill Patrick Maloney.
Lamb to the Slaughter
Question: Write a critical evaluation of a short story that you have read which features an unusual character. Say what the story was about, describe the unusual character and comment on how the author made the story interesting for you.
'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl is a short story which I have read recently. The story is written in third person, and is mainly set in the house of the two main characters Mary Maloney, who is expecting a child and her husband Patrick Maloney, who works as a policeman. The house as we are told is in a city in America. When Mary thinks her life is going fine it takes a turn for the worst when her husband arrives home from work one day acting somewhat unusual. We are not told the circumstances why, but he tells Mary that he is leaving her, presumably for another woman. Mary at that moment acts perfectly fine and shows no reaction to the news she has just been told. She then calmly walks down to the cellar to get a frozen leg of lamb and then walks back upstairs and again into the sitting room where Patrick is and asks if he would like his tea. He then loses his temper and shouts at her with his back to her refusing to turn round. She consequently raises the leg of lamb high above her head and brings it down and strikes Patrick on the back of the head. She then takes a several steps back and he sways for a few seconds then crashes to the ground. Mary acts remarkably calm as she decides what to do. After going to the shop and buying some vegetables she returns home and phones the police as though she has just come back and discovered her dead husband. Whilst all the commotion is going on the lamb is in the oven cooking. In the end Mary suggests that the hardworking policemen should have some tea, after much persuasion from Mary the policemen go into the kitchen and are told to help themselves to the lamb, which unknown to them is the murder weapon used to kill Patrick Maloney.
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Teacher Reviews
Here's what a teacher thought of this essay
This is a basic analysis that only considers the text at a superficial level and doesn't really appreciate the depth of the characters and how Dahl represents them. There needs to be more emphasis on the formal analysis of language, structure and form. 3 Stars
