Compare And Contrast The Landlady And Lamb To The Slaughter

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The three short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Landlady”, and “Lamb to the Slaughter” all have one thing in common; the horror of murder. Each murderer kills their victim for a different reason. Some murders were out of surprise, while some were thoroughly planned out. Of all of these killers, the murderer in “The Landlady” is the most vicious; being how her murder tactics are more horrifying and the act she puts up is the most deceiving.
The victim in “Lamb to the Slaughter” is the husband of Mary Maloney. She saw an opportunity and she took it. Her murder was more out of surprise than it was malicious. Her husband was a very innocent policeman and had done nothing wrong and was also fairly young. The story was surprised the reader, not terrified them. Mary Maloney, though a dedicated and attentive wife, seems to get pleasure from killing the husband. When the detective's comment that the evidence might be “right under our (their) very noses”, Mary “began to giggle.” She is amused with …show more content…
One of the only reasons he is killed was because of his youth. Billy Weaver went to London on his way to a main business office, not knowing that death was awaiting him. One of the only reasons he is killed was because of his youth. He didn’t want to believe anything was going on because of how sweet the landlady was. Foreshadowing, the indication of something before it happens, is used many times in this story. As part of her generous gestures she offered him tea. As he drank this he thought “the tea taster faintly of bitter almonds, (and) he didn’t much care for it.” Roald Dahl, the author, did not have to include how the tea tasted, which spoke to the reader that something was wrong with it. Although all of these things contribute to the viciousness of this story, the most horrifying thing about this story is how she stuffs the bodies after they are
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Compare And Contrast Lamb To The Slaughter And The Landlady

Roald Dahl’s two short stories, “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Landlady” were successful in being scary. One reason the stories are successful is that the author gives us small hints in the text that some characters weren’t exactly normal, even though they were presented as such. In “The Landlady” the woman is first described as gentle and pleasant. But as we move along through the story it is hinted that she is a little crazy. It is first shown when Mr. Weaver and her are walking up the stairs…

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