The stories "Lamb To The Slaughter" and "A Vendetta" will be compared and contrasted within this essay. The two stories are about ordinary people whose lives change after something unpleasant arises

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Analysing And Comparing Two Short Stories

(Coursework)

In this coursework, I will be analysing two different stories which have the common theme, which is that two people’s lives change, after committing murders. The stories “Lamb To The Slaughter” and “A Vendetta” will be compared and contrasted within this essay. The two stories are about ordinary people whose lives change after something unpleasant arises, which forces them into committing murders. I will also be varying the reaction of killings and the distinguished styles of murders.    

In the story “Lamb To The Slaughter” The pregnant wife of a detective; Mary Maloney was calmly waiting for her husband (Patrick Maloney) to come home. The initial indication of Patrick’s aggravation was when he slammed the car door. Mary gradually attempted to start a conversation but there was no reply. In great urgency, Patrick decided to tell his wife a mournful truth, which was that Patrick wanted a divorce, what was too much hassle for him. Mary, blunt minded, rose from her knitting chair, pondering that nothing occurred and left for the cellar to attain a piece of lamb. Since, her husband did not face towards her and did not show her respect, furthermore he showed arrogance and lack of emotion whilst Mary was talking to him. Through her pent up anger she he hit him with the frozen piece of lamb, showing her stress, anger and hatred; gently swaying Patrick fell over dead. She followed on, by leaving for the grocers to buy vegetables, which consequently made the man behind the counter her alibi. She comes home yet she weeps as a consequence she called the police. Cunningly she convinced the police to eat the weapon, therefore wiping out the evidence.

In the story “A Vendetta”  Mrs Saverini’s son Antoine had been man slaughtered by Nicolas Ravolati after a quarrel at a local pub. Nicolas smartly escaped from the town Bonafacio and moved into Ajaccio. Mrs Saverini discovered who the killer was and made a promise on her deceased son’s soul. The vow was that she will take vengeance on the assassin. Mrs Saverini trained her dog by not giving the dog food and used

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dummies for the dog to attack. Knowing that killing was wrong, she left home to go church and requested God not to reprimand her, since it was her duty. She travelled to

Ajaccio after weeks of training her dog to slaughter Ravolati. The night Mrs Saverini let her dog tear the throat of Ravolati; she slept soundly as well as feeling relieved from stress and anger.

The setting in the “Lamb To The Slaughter” is peaceful since Mary Maloney has the curtains drawn, table lamps on, and has two glasses of whiskey along with ice cubes waiting for ...

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