View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Sergeant Noonan’s first name in the story?

2. What color is Patrick’s second drink that he makes for himself described as?

3. What is Mary’s response when she sees Patrick’s body after returning from the store?

4. Where does Mary say there’s “plenty of meat and stuff” after Patrick’s arrival?

5. Mary is told by the policemen that her husband has been killed with what weapon?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Biblical allusion depicted through the title of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

2. Why do you think the author chooses not to detail Patrick’s story to the reader?

3. Whose point of view does the narrative of “Lamb to Slaughter” revolve around?

4. How is the setting described in the first paragraph of “Lamb to Slaughter”? What items are described in the room?

5. At what point in the story is Mary’s sense of identity shattered? What does she do to regain her sense of identity?

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

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

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

9. What crucial information to the story is omitted? Why do you think the author omitted these details?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the dialect and language style of the short story. What have critics and literary experts written about Dahl’s language style in his writing? Do you think that given the language style, this story could be set elsewhere? How would the story appear if recreated with a contemporary Chicago dialect?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the character of Patrick Maloney in the short story. What does Patrick look like? How is his appearance described from Mary’s point of view? How do Patrick’s actions display his personality?

Essay Topic 3

Irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”

a. Define dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. What are examples of each in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

b. Why do you think the author employs irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”? What are the effects of the irony employed?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 901 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample