Mary Maloney In Roald Dahl's 'Lamb To The Slaughter'

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Recommended: Role of women in general literature

Vinco Wu
Ms Taylor
ENG1D1-08
April 4th 2014
Character Analysis Essay: Mary Maloney
What happens when a woman is spurned by her husband? In the short story " Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl, we are introduced to Mary Maloney who is seemingly a caring, submissive and dutiful housewife. However when her husband tells her he intends to leave her, this dynamic character transforms instantaneously from a doting housewife to a cunning, calculating and cold blooded killer who's manipulative, devious and deceitful actions provide suspense to the story
At the beginning of the story, Mary Maloney is depicted as a innocent, caring and meek house wife. Every day, Mary Maloney would perform leisure activities to kill time until her husband `returned home from work. She loved him so much that when her husband came home, to her " [it] was always a blissful time of day" (Dahl 1) Mary Maloney loved him and cared for him so much that she looked forward to spending time with her husband. When Patrick comes home, everyday Mary would fulfill anything he needs. This is shown when she asks " Darling shall I get you some slippers" ( Dahl 1) She would get slippers for him, prepare meals and drinks because she cares deeply for her husband. She knows that after a long day of work he would definitely be tired so instead she helps him. This shows how much Mary Maloney cared for her husband. But her personality drastically changes as soon as she realizes her husband does not love her as much as she does. and intends to leave her.
After Patrick Maloney reveals that he intends to leave her, Mary's personality soon becomes cold hearted, emotionless and calculative. As she goes and makes supper with a leg of lamb after receiving the news, she is emotionle...

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You must be terribly hungry by now because it's long past your suppertime, and I know Patrick would never forgive me, God bless his soul, if I allowed you to remain in his house without offering you decent hospitality. Why don't you eat up that lamb that's in the oven? It'll be cooked just right by now
Mary knowing that the police would not deny the wishes of a dead man deceive the police into eating the leg of lamb. The policemen misinterpret Mary's intentions thinking that she was offering out of hospitality. As a result the policemen eat the whole leg of lamb, destroying the last piece of evidence which could prove Mary Maloney guilty. Because of how she cunningly manipulated the people around her like the policemen and the grocer, she escapes murder charges.
In summary, Mary Maloney is a dynamic character, who changes negatively as the story progresses.

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