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

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

3. What day of the week is it in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

4. What is a literary technique used to develop suspense in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What elements of the setting of “Lamb to the Slaughter” indicate the time period for the story?

2. How does Roald Dahl demonstrate black humor through the act of murder in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

3. When does Mary appear the most emotionally vulnerable in the story? Is this emotion true or a performance?

4. How is the character of Patrick Maloney described in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

5. How does the author portray women and men differently in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

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

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

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

9. How would you compare the style of “Lamb to the Slaughter” to other horror short stories?

10. What can be seen as ironic in Mary’s ability to evade suspicion and prosecution in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the historical context of “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Consider how the story relates to its time period in terms of societal, political, cultural, and technological aspects. Do you think the story effectively reflects the time period in which it is set? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Define “foreshadowing” in narrative literature and identify examples of foreshadowing in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” What actions, events, and descriptions in the opening pages of the story indicate that a murder will take place? What purpose does the foreshadowing serve in the story?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample