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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 is the meat from the freezer wrapped in?

3. What does Mary buy at the store after she’s killed Patrick?

4. What does Mary say when the police pick up after she calls them?

5. Where was “Lamb to the Slaughter” first published?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What characteristics define Mary Maloney in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

3. Who is Sergeant Noonan in the story? When does he arrive in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

5. What is ironic about Mary’s answer to Sam regarding “meat” in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

6. Why does Mary giggle at the end of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

8. What is the central example of dramatic irony in “Lamb to Slaughter”?

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

10. How does the theme of betrayal apply to “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

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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