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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where is Patrick standing when Mary reenters the living room with the meat from the freezer?
(a) By the window
(b) In the kitchen
(c) On the stairs
(d) On the porch

2. Mary is described as loving the way that Patrick remains silent about his what, in the beginning of the short story?
(a) Tiredness
(b) Anger
(c) Admiration
(d) Frustration

3. What kind of look describes Mary’s eyes in the beginning of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
(a) Mourning
(b) Wondering
(c) Placid
(d) Excited

4. According to the narrator, “the detectives kept asking [Mary] a lot of questions. But they always treated her” how?
(a) Respectfully
(b) Suspiciously
(c) Kindly
(d) Innocently

5. What does Mary attempt to do in the bedroom after killing Patrick?
(a) Scream
(b) Call her mother
(c) Smile
(d) Cry

Short Answer Questions

1. Mary is told by the policemen that the weapon used to kill her husband was “most certainly a large piece of” what?

2. How many table lamps are described in the room in the opening of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

3. What word from the story refers to a state of being desperate or wild with excitement, passion or fear?

4. How is Mary said to greet the store clerk when she arrives after killing Patrick?

5. How many policemen are left in Mary’s house after they’ve all had drinks?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is “climax” defined? Where in “Lamb to the Slaughter” does the climax occur?

2. Where in the story does the denouement take place? What happens in the denouement?

3. What is foreshadowed by Patrick’s action of downing of his drink in the story?

4. What is the central example of dramatic irony in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

5. Who is Sergeant Noonan in the story? When does he arrive in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

6. How is Mary’s love for Patrick indicated through imagery in the story?

7. What action does Patrick commit in “Lamb to Slaughter” to propel the action of the story forward?

8. How does the author establish and develop tension through using sound in the beginning of the story?

9. How do Mary’s actions after the murder resemble those of an actor preparing for a role?

10. What ultimate irony is presented at the end of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

(see the answer keys)

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