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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. Mary complains about what aspect of Patrick’s job after his arrival home in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

2. What word used in describing the story’s setting refers to a piece of furniture, as in a dining room, often with shelves or drawers?

3. One of the officers in the kitchen says of the murder weapon, “"Personally, I think it's” where?

4. Mary calls the police officer’s dear friends of whom in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

5. What is Mary’s response when Patrick tells her, “Listen, I’ve got something to tell you”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is significant about O’Malley’s name in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

3. How is the theme of passivity in “Lamb to the Slaughter” illustrated through Patrick’s character?

4. What appear to be Patrick’s motivations and desires in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

6. How is Mary’s discussion with Sam regarding “dessert” an example of verbal irony?

7. What do you think the outcome will be for Mary based on the ending of the story?

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

9. What is the motivation for the crime committed in “Lamb to Slaughter”? How is this motivation established in the beginning of the story?

10. What conversation between Mary and Sergeant Noonan leads to the destruction of the evidence in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author’s development of suspense and tension in the rising action of “Lamb to the Slaughter.” What are the main risks that the protagonist faces in the story? How are these risks compounded in the rising action? How does Mary deal with them?

Essay Topic 2

Identity in “Lamb to the Slaughter”

a. How does author Dahl explore the theme of identity through the character of Mary in the story? How does Mary’s identity become threatened and what does she do as a result?

b. How does the theme of identity relate differently to the men and women in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Compare the reality of Patrick’s behavior to the depiction of Patrick as seen through Mary’s eyes in the narrative. Where in the story does the reader witness first-hand “that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together”? How far from reality is this imagery?

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