32 pages • 1 hour read
Roald DahlLamb To The Slaughter
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1953A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Situational Irony
Irony is the most prominent literary device in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” The story creates situational irony as events take an unpredictable turn, confounding readers’ expectations. The cozy domestic setting and opening descriptions of Mary’s devotion to her husband suggest marital harmony. By lulling readers into a false sense of security, the narrative ensures that Mary Maloney’s murder of her husband is all the more unexpected.
Situational irony is also created by the seemingly mundane nature of the murder weapon. Like Mary, the frozen leg of lamb appears innocuous. It is, therefore, an amusingly appropriate weapon for a scorned wife when her offer of supper is rudely declined. Dahl evokes an absurd and darkly humorous visual image as Mary stands “for a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece of meat tight with both hands” (26).
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony arises when readers know something that the characters are unaware of. The device is used throughout the investigation of Mr. Maloney’s murder to create black humor. Dramatic irony is introduced when the blundering police officers treat Mary, the murderer of her husband, as a victim of the crime. Sergeant Noonan and his team repeatedly refer to the murderer as “he” and “him” when readers know his killer is a woman. They also incorrectly speculate that the weapon must have been “a large piece of metal” (31) or “the hell of a big club” (33).
The greatest dramatic irony is delivered at the end of the story when the policemen devour the leg of lamb, unaware they are eating the evidence they have been searching for. As they do so, they observe that the murder weapon is “Probably right under our very noses” (34), oblivious to how true this statement is.
Simile
The title of Dahl’s short story alludes to the simile “like a lamb to the slaughter.” The implications of this well-known idiom resonate throughout the story. Mary is like a lamb to the slaughter as she is innocently oblivious to the bad news her husband intends to break. The simile also applies to Patrick Maloney as he turns his back on Mary, unaware she is about to attack him. The investigating police officers are also as naïve as lambs when Mary persuades them to eat the murder weapon they are searching for.
Mary also uses a simile to describe Mr. Maloney’s effect on her. Sitting opposite her husband, Mary reflects, “She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel—almost as a sunbather feels the sun—that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together” (23). While Mary views this sensation as pleasurable, the comparison of her husband to “the sun” and herself as a “sunbather” is troubling. Mary conflates her husband’s masculinity with the sun’s life-giving rays, suggesting that she is a lesser being, dependent on his presence for survival. Mary’s description of Mr. Maloney’s warmth is unintentionally ironic, as his behavior toward her is cold. Her misreading of the situation suggests that she is unwilling to see the truth.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device that hints at a future event, creating a sense of narrative tension. In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Dahl creates a comfortable domestic setting and establishes Mary as a character whose life revolves around her husband. He then introduces clues to foreshadow the impending destruction of Mary’s domestic idyll.
Readers are first alerted to imminent discord by Patrick Maloney’s responses to his wife’s greeting. While she kisses him and lovingly refers to him as “darling,” he offers no endearments in return. His replies are curt and monosyllabic, suggesting that Mary’s love is not reciprocated.
Further foreshadowing occurs when Mr. Maloney deviates from the couple’s usual domestic routines. Gulping down his whiskey, he pours a second, stronger drink before Mary has the chance to serve him. His actions signal that he is preparing to break bad news to his wife. Patrick Maloney’s rejection of Mary’s offers to make supper is another example of foreshadowing. Depriving his wife of her usual role as caregiver indicates Mr. Maloney’s desire to withdraw from the marriage altogether.
Related Titles
By Roald Dahl
