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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. As Mary, in the living room, listens to the policemen in the kitchen, their voices are described as being what “because their mouths were full of meat”?

2. What does Mary request while she’s rehearsing in her room after killing Patrick?

3. “Lamb to the Slaughter” was initially rejected by what periodical for publication?

4. Patrick tells Mary that he’ll give her what after he’s related his story in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

5. Of the murder weapon, one of the policemen in the kitchen says, "Whoever done it, they're not going to be carrying a thing like that around with them longer than they” what?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What social and cultural elements influenced the Post-War period in Western literature?

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

5. Where in the story does the exposition take place? What important information is revealed through the exposition?

6. How can the influence of television culture be seen in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

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

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

10. Who is Sam? What role does he play in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Define “narrative point of view” and discuss the point of view of “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Is the story related in the past, present or future tense? Is the story told from a first, second, or third person point of view? How limited is the narrator’s perspective? Why do you think the author chose this narrative style?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of betrayal in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” How is this theme illustrated through the actions of Mary and of Patrick? What symbolism does the author use to reinforce this theme? How does betrayal relate to the other prominent themes in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

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