In Lamb to the Slaughter, we are presented with two characters. These characters are Patrick and Mary Maloney, a seemingly good couple expecting a baby. These characters, however, change over the course of the story.
Lamb to the Slaughter, by Roald Dahl, introduces us to two characters, Patrick and Mary Maloney, a couple. This couple is known in their neighborhood, as their grocer Sam even knows what the husband likes for dessert, and are expecting a baby. In routine, Mary waits for her husband to come home from work “without anxiety” as she sews. When her husband does come home, he shows little to no emotion to her greeting, as he has a serious tone. Mary down-plays this as her husband just being tired from work. Their evening continues, with Mary sewing and her…show more content… Patrick “did an unusual thing” and drank most of his drink in one swig. When he finishes his drink, the tone remains serious as he tells Mary to sit down multiple times until he gets to his point. He tells her he wants a divorce or is leaving her, as much as the readers know. Patrick “became absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down” keeping eye contact away from Mary. At this time, Mary is in shock, stating that “perhaps, if she acted as though she had not heard him, she would find out that none of it had ever happened”. At this time Mary “couldn’t feel anything except a slight sickness” and goes into an automated mode. She goes to their freezer and gets a leg of lamb, deciding “they would have lamb for supper” as she begins to show no emotion. Back in the living room Patrick’s back is to her and with his statement, “she swung the big frozen leg of lamb, high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head”. Mary is still very calm and her concern is for her baby, not herself. She decides to go to the grocer, heads up stairs to get ready, and leaves. She tells herself
