What Is The Turning Point Of Lamb To The Slaughter

Several times in stories, one character’s perspective over another character’s perspective can impact the outcome of the story. It can be a limited or an overlooked perspective, but these are key points that help create major turning points. In this story “Lamb to the Slaughter” written by (put the author's name), the detectives had a limited perspective towards Mary Moloney’s character which helped her cover up the murder of Patrick Moloney, her husband. The limited perspective that the detectives had towards Mary Moloney were based upon a biased opinion, and the time period the story took place in which was in the early nineteen hundreds.

The biased opinions that the detectives had towards Mary Moloney did in fact impact the story’s outcome.

One way the biased opinion of the detectives impacted the story is how they sympathized for her.

This was because the detectives viewed Mary Moloney was a pregnant housewife who was dependent on her husband who is now dead, rather than the victim’s wife who found him dead first. For example, on page 5 it stated “The two detectives remained, and so did the two policemen. they were exceptionally nice to her, Jack Noonan asked if she wouldn't rather go somewhere else, to her sister's house perhaps, or to his own wife who would take care of her and put her up for the night.” This occured due the sympathy that Jack Noonan had and showed towards Mary Moloney. This sympathy was created due to the fact that she was pregnant who has been widowed recently. Another reason this biased opinion was created was due to the fact that the detectives are already acquainted with Mary Moloney. The detectives knew Mary Moloney as their colleague’s wife as Patrick Moloney is a policeman/detective. On page 1 Mary Moloney states “I think it’s a shame, that when a policeman gets to be as senior as you, they keep him walking about on his feet all day long.” This statement tells the readers that Patrick Moloney, Mary Moloney’s

late husband is a senior policeman indicating that he was a policeman for some time now. Later in page 5 it says “Some other men began to come into the house. First a doctor, then two detectives, one of whom she knew by name.” The detective whom’s name she knew was none other then Jack Noonan who offered her a place to stay. The detectives had a biased opinion as they lost a colleague or friend and the community or area the Moloney’s lived lost a sincere senior policeman. The biased opinions the detectives was only one factor that impacted the outcome of the story. Another major factor that impacted the story was the time period it took place in.

The time period where the story “Lamb to the Slaughter” took place in was the early nineteen hundreds.

A time where the stereotypes towards women were significantly heavy. Women from this time period were not expected to do a murder, especially not with the weapon it described. It stated on page 5 “Her husband, he told her, had been killed by a blow on the back of the head administered with a heavy blunt instrument, almost certainly a large piece of metal.” Policemen or detectives would usually suspect a woman if the victim was killed due to poison and other deadly substance. It was also assumed that the murder weapon can be a big club or a sledgehammer when in reality it was a leg of lamb. A detective also stated “The doc says his skull was smashed all to pieces.” With the weapons that were assumed that were used for the murder and the impact it had on the victim makes it more unlikely for the policemen and detectives to conclude that the murder was committed by a woman. Another stereotype that existed during this time period that helped Mary Moloney escape or cover up the murder of husband was “housewives”. Mary Moloney was a housewife. Indicating that she is not independent, but dependant on her husband. Which makes the detectives more firm on the decision of how Mary Moloney is innocent as it is not only her that is dependent on her husband but her unborn child as

well.

The time period the story took place in and the biased opinions the detectives had towards Mary Moloney were the two ways of how the limited perspective impacted the story’s outcome heavily. One lesson the reader could or should of learned from reading this story is how one should never underestimate or overlook a human being and should never underestimate oneself.