Lamb To The Slaughter Theme

Theme Essay of Lamb to the Slaughter

Roald Dahl’s realistic short story, “Lamb to the Slaughter” is about a wife named Mary Maloney, who loves her husband very dearly, then ultimately kills him due to him requesting a divorce. Roald has cohesively weaved the characters’ actions into the theme of this darkly comical tale. What Mary anticipated to be a tranquil supper with Patrick turns out unexpectedly to be Patrick deceiving her. This abrupt and unforeseen dissolution brought up by whom she’s most comfortable and caring towards, leads her not aware of her actions. In this story, the theme that some things or people can hide their true meaning or potential by showing traits that are ideal for you was indicated by a deceptive setting and couple.
“The room was warm, the curtains were closed, the two table lamps were lit. On the cupboard behind her there were two glasses and some drinks. Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.” The house was deceived as being clean and stress-free. It is in fact depicted as Mary, having completed all of the miscellaneous chores around the house so that it is ready for her husband after a hard day at work. In addition, this paragraph significantly illustrates that Mary has an affectionate attitude towards Patrick. This is proven by the alcoholic beverages she has prepared for Patrick on the cupboard. It is almost as if Mary wants the atmosphere of the house to contain as less tension and stress as possible so that when her husband arrives, he can relax and be thankful for being gifted a caring wife. However, through a small argument between them, Mary’s actions and spoken words started to get compulsive and obsessive. “She moved uneasily in her chair. But you have to have supper… But, darling, you have to eat! I'll do it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you like." These dialogues were a crucial part of the story which unmasks the setting and atmosphere. This shows that the first impression of something isn’t necessarily the last impression. It was as almost if the setting was distinctively created as a distraction to the ambience and atmosphere of the house. The
One day, your decision might back-stab you when you least expect it. And on that day, you won’t be able to live with yourself. The level of betrayal you may experience might just make you do things you are not aware of. Take Mary, for example. How she didn’t know what to do when Patrick revealed that he was deceiving her from the beginning. She could not believe that she had cared for him for so many years and yet, he betrayed her by wanting to leave her for the sake of his job. Desperate in seeking revenge, she deceived and betrayed him by doing the unimaginable despite it being her sixth month expecting a baby. When some things or people just appear to be perfect, their true nature might surface from beneath and when you least expect