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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mary attempt to do in the bedroom after killing Patrick?

2. What beverage is sitting out as Mary waits in the opening of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

3. How are Mary’s actions described when she kills her husband?

4. Who gets up at once after the congealed blood is found on Patrick’s head and hurries to the phone?

5. What food item does Mary offer to Patrick after he arrives home?

Short Essay Questions

1. After the murder has been committed, what is Mary’s central objective in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

2. What central injustices mark the narrative of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

3. How is the concept of identity as seen in popular psychology depicted through the character of Mary in the novel?

4. What foreshadowing can be seen in the curtains as described in the first paragraph of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

5. How did “Lamb to Slaughter” fit in with the popular fiction of the era when it was published?

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

7. How would you characterize the tone and mood of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

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

9. How would you characterize Mary’s mindset as she commits murder in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

10. How does Patrick Maloney feel about his wife Mary in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Mary’s “reinvention” of identity in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” How does Mary’s character transform after she returns from the cellar? How does it evolve as she rehearses in front of the mirror? What has happened to Mary’s sense of identity through the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss Sergeant Jack Noonan in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” How tall is Noonan? How is his behavior characterized? Is Noonan’s character portrayed directly or indirectly in the text? What role does Noonan play in the plot of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the significance of the names in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Why do you think the author chooses these names for his characters? Is there symbolic significance to the names? What type of heritage do these names imply?

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This section contains 892 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample