Lamb to the Slaughter, by Roald Dahl
Context: Life was very different in the 1950's. Women had very set roles. Couples did not divorce or separate, and women who had been divorced had very poor social standing or opportunities. Consider this excerpt from a 1950's home economics text book called 'Advice for the newly married wife':
Have dinner ready: Plan ahead even the night before to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-wary people. Be a little happier and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
Clear away the clutter: Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax-unwind.
What does this tell you about the role of women in the 1950's?
Download the story below to your device.
Have dinner ready: Plan ahead even the night before to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-wary people. Be a little happier and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
Clear away the clutter: Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax-unwind.
What does this tell you about the role of women in the 1950's?
Download the story below to your device.
lambtotheslaughter.doc |
lambtotheslaughter_comp_qus.doc |
Point of view in Lamb to the Slaughter
There are three main types of Third Person Point of View:
Third-Person Objective Narration
In this mode of narration, the narrator tells a third-person’s story (he, she, him, her), but the narrator only describes characters’ behavior and dialogue. The narrator does not reveal any character’s thoughts or feelings. Again, readers will be able to understand characters’ thoughts and motivations based on characters’ actions and dialogue, which are narrated; however, the narrator will not explicitly reveal character’s thoughts and/or motivations in narration.
Third-Person Limited:
When a narrator uses third-person limited perspective, the narrator’s perspective is limited to the internal workings of one character. In other words, the narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of one character through explicit narration. As with objective narration, readers may be able to infer characters’ thoughts and feelings based on the behaviors and dialogue of those characters, which are narrated, but the narrator also directly reveals the central character’s internal perspective.
Third-Person Omniscient:
In this mode of narration, the narrator grants readers the most access to characters’ thoughts and feelings. With third-person omniscient narration, the narration will reveal more than one characters’ internal workings. The base word omni means “all,” and scient means “knowing,” so omniscient roughly translates to “all knowing.” In omniscient narration, the narrator is all knowing.
“Lamb to the Slaughter” is a third-person narrative told by an anonymous narrator who functions as an observer of the characters.
The third person narrator knows what Mary Maloney thinks and feels, but does not make further introspective comments regarding the other characters. This is why we can say that the narrator has a point of view limited to Mary Maloney’s perspective. Here is an example in which the narrator depicts Mary’s thoughts and feelings:
And now, she told herself as she hurried back, all she was doing now, she was returning home to her husband and he was waiting for his supper; and she must cook it good, and make it as tasty as possible because the poor man was tired; and if, when she entered the house, she happened to find anything unusual, or tragic, or terrible, then naturally it would be a shock and she’d become frantic with grief and horror. Mind you, she wasn’t expecting to find anything.
Activity:
1 “Lamb to the Slaughter” is narrated by a third person narrator. However, the point of view is highly subjective. Who is the focaliser in the story? Whose point of view do we share? Why do you think the author made this choice?
2 Mary turns out to be a cunning and un-repentant murderer. Why do we nonetheless sympathise more with her than with her husband?
3 Do we ever feel sorry for Patrick? Why/why not?
4 Is this story meant to shock and thrill us/make us feel terribly sad/surprise us/amuse us? Describe and explain your response.
Third-Person Objective Narration
In this mode of narration, the narrator tells a third-person’s story (he, she, him, her), but the narrator only describes characters’ behavior and dialogue. The narrator does not reveal any character’s thoughts or feelings. Again, readers will be able to understand characters’ thoughts and motivations based on characters’ actions and dialogue, which are narrated; however, the narrator will not explicitly reveal character’s thoughts and/or motivations in narration.
Third-Person Limited:
When a narrator uses third-person limited perspective, the narrator’s perspective is limited to the internal workings of one character. In other words, the narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of one character through explicit narration. As with objective narration, readers may be able to infer characters’ thoughts and feelings based on the behaviors and dialogue of those characters, which are narrated, but the narrator also directly reveals the central character’s internal perspective.
Third-Person Omniscient:
In this mode of narration, the narrator grants readers the most access to characters’ thoughts and feelings. With third-person omniscient narration, the narration will reveal more than one characters’ internal workings. The base word omni means “all,” and scient means “knowing,” so omniscient roughly translates to “all knowing.” In omniscient narration, the narrator is all knowing.
“Lamb to the Slaughter” is a third-person narrative told by an anonymous narrator who functions as an observer of the characters.
The third person narrator knows what Mary Maloney thinks and feels, but does not make further introspective comments regarding the other characters. This is why we can say that the narrator has a point of view limited to Mary Maloney’s perspective. Here is an example in which the narrator depicts Mary’s thoughts and feelings:
And now, she told herself as she hurried back, all she was doing now, she was returning home to her husband and he was waiting for his supper; and she must cook it good, and make it as tasty as possible because the poor man was tired; and if, when she entered the house, she happened to find anything unusual, or tragic, or terrible, then naturally it would be a shock and she’d become frantic with grief and horror. Mind you, she wasn’t expecting to find anything.
Activity:
1 “Lamb to the Slaughter” is narrated by a third person narrator. However, the point of view is highly subjective. Who is the focaliser in the story? Whose point of view do we share? Why do you think the author made this choice?
2 Mary turns out to be a cunning and un-repentant murderer. Why do we nonetheless sympathise more with her than with her husband?
3 Do we ever feel sorry for Patrick? Why/why not?
4 Is this story meant to shock and thrill us/make us feel terribly sad/surprise us/amuse us? Describe and explain your response.
Characterisation
Brainstorm a police identikit of a typical murderer. Consider the SAAO characterisation aspects of speech, actions, appearance and other's opinions. Share your ideas with your friends, adding in any details you consider typical of a 'murderer'. Now complete the SAAO worksheet for Mary. What differences and/or similarities are there between the typical murderer and her character?