SHE DID WHAT?! English Prof Explains & Gives Analysis on Roald Dahl's Story, Lamb to the Slaughter
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- A short summary and lecture on Roald Dahl's popular short story, "Lamb to the Slaughter," with emphasis on the manipulation of gender roles, dramatic irony, the underestimation of women, and discussion questions. #roalddahl #dahl #lambtotheslaughter #shortstory #britishliterature #lecture #analysis #literaryanalysis #professor #genderroles #women #murder #subtitles #subtitle #education #educate #underestimatingwomen #food #lamb #victim #twentiethcenturyliterature #examhelp
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This was definitely my favorite story from this semesters reads. I loved Mary's character. However, it was a little scary how Mary felt no remorse afterwards. The police officers (men) underestimating Mary because she's a women, really worked in Mary's favor. The officers were so mindless because Mary is simply a women, that they ate all the evidence. I was surprised the officers were not even slightly suspicious of her. While reading the story I was certain that Mary was gonna be caught in the crime, I was shocked as I continued reading. It was nothing as I expected. It's almost impressive how Mary got away with it. This may seem evil, but seeing Mary (a women) whom everyone underestimates got away with the murder and not only tricked 1 man but she fooled several.
Yes, Mary is a complex character, to say the least. And, I think she makes a lot of us feel very morally compromised as readers.
This story took a huge turn that I did not expect. Mary did everything to keep Patrick happy, but even that wasn't enough. Mary is a pregnant woman who has no job, who has done everything to keep her husband happy. But yet, Patrick want's to leave her. It is a very sad reality, because as much we hate to see it, lots of us are blinded by love and would do anything for our partners, while they wouldn't. After reading that Mary fed the cops the murder weapon I got chills, she had no reaction to what she had just done but yet still got away with it. Your explanation and personal thoughts on the story was very well said professor. One side of me wants to say I understand why Mary did what she did, but the other side of me wants to say how could she possibly kill a a person ?
She’s complex!
This was one of my favorite stories from this class. I always find it so interesting how Mary, despite not having planned any of this, consistently takes the logical course of action. She does exactly what she needs to in order to not get caught, and the officers and ignorant of that and are trying to decide their own ideas of what was logical to do in regards to what could've happened.
It’s interesting, for sure.
Thank you for providing a great " Lamb to the Slaughter" analysis. When I read this story I find it crazy that Mary didn't get caught and that she feed the weapon to the police. It was mind blowing because no one would even think that Mary had to do anything with the crime. It shows how you should never think less of someone no matter the gender.
Exactly!
I really enjoyed this story and listening to this analysis! For one, gender roles played a huge role in this story. Women are made to seem delicate and good, while men are stereotyped as strong, serious, etc. It was interesting to me how the police would not suspect her as the murder of her husband, only because she is a woman. On that note, I think her husband deserved what happened to him. For him to leave her so suddenly without emotion, even after everything she has done to him made me livid. When you mentioned how frustrated you were with her, I felt it too. I wanted Mary to defend herself!
Thanks for sharing!
My favorite story of the semester and amazing lecture Professor. Mary loved her husband and her life as she was pregnant. However when her husband comes home and said he wants to leave her. As Mary is in shock, she responds by wanting to cook for him. As he gets mad and doesn't want to be around her, she hits him in the back of the head with the leg of lamb. I laughed reading this as she continued to cook and go to the market for an alibi. Her emotions when the people came to investigate, they never considered her a suspect. Mary knew the officers were hungry, and feeds everyone the murder weapon. I wanted to yell and scream when Mary just wanted to cook for him, why?! however she used it to her advantage. Smart amazing woman. Mary being a house wife, I didn't expect the ending.
Isn’t it so great?! Mary is an interesting and a complex figure who definitely makes you think twice about the way we root for her.
First and foremost, I really enjoyed this short story because not only was it enjoyable to read but it also had a deeper thematic meaning and background to it. I thought to myself of the past when reading this story because women like Mrs. Maloney in the story "Lamb to the Slaughter" are of sincere, submissive, feminine, emotional, hospitable figures that show unconditional support and act out their feminine charm in front of everybody. You could never suspect Mrs. Maloney to be a murderous suspect that could murder anyone since during Roald Dahl's time women were seen as housewives that only attended house chores and duties while the husband was away at work. While I was reading the story, I felt that there was a particular theme to be discovered here. The theme I felt to be present in Dahl's short story was that the truth hurts for people that hear it, but it can also set them free. Furthermore, when I was reading this short story, I was reminded of another short story called "Beyond the Sea of Death" by Miriam Allen Deford in which the main character kills someone in particular because she could not stand hearing the painful truth which led to her commiting a murderous action which equally mirrors the eerie short story nature of "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl. Those are just my two cents, but this was one of the short stories that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thank you once again for the insightful class lecture Professor Kosters!
I will have to check out Deford’s story!
I remember reading this story for the first time when I was in middle school, and I remember really liking it. Back then, I think they made us read it so we could learn what irony was. I didn't get any sense of the women's issues under the surface until I watched your lecture. Now I can see it perfectly.
Something I really appreciated Roald Dahl doing was humanizing Mary. Details about her putting on a performance for herself, and genuinely crying upon seeing her husband's dead body after returning to the store, were details that Dahl intentionally included. Dahl could have played up the concept of giving a woman more power by making her stoic as well, unfeeling and confident in her choices even after murder. But Mary's not that type of character, and she feels all the emotions a human being would feel in her situation. Does it absolve her of being a murderer? I'm not sure, since murder is pretty bad, but the fact that she's not a cold killing machine might help readers empathize with her more.
Wonderful insight!
This story is so incredibly interesting and depicts an intriguing plot line of the death of Mary's husband by Mary. It is very interesting that she particularly takes a course of action unaware of the consequences yet she has a particular strategy in order to not get caught. She truly had a method to her madness and it was crazy how she fooled the police officers. The attention to detail emphasized in this lecture helped me connect the dots and understand the purpose of the story.
Glad to hear that!
This has to be one of my favorite stories of the class, it is just so geniusly written and satisfying near the end. Honestly Patrick getting obliterated by the frozen lamb has to be one of the most satisfying things i have read in an english class. I can't believe i would be rooting for a murderer but given how much of a grade a jerk Patrick was to Mary its hard not to root for her. Mary using her sterotypical conformative gender role to her absolute advatage was really well done and shows just how clever Mary is and her getting rid of the evidence was my second favorite part of the story next to Patrick getting knocked out. You could consider Mary to be an anti-femme fatal because she is a dangerous woman who is comfortable within her gender role as a house wife.
Yes, she’s a character that makes you feel morally compromised.
I was very impressed with this story. I was mostly impressed with how Mary handled everything. As a woman in the time that she lives in, believed to be helpless, Mary was able to fool the police men. In search of the murder weapon, they had little to no knowledge that while on the hunt they were helping conceal this murder mystery even more. Even the title is symbolic. We think of a lamb to be helpless and innocent, just like Mary comes off to be. The term "Lamb to the Slaughter" is to describe someone who is unsuspecting or unaware of danger. Never did it cross the minds of the police that the woman who made the meal was a suspect and the meal it self was the murder weapon.
Yeah, Dahl is a masterful storyteller.
I loved this story because it's not your typical happy and romantic ending story. This one had me in shock several times throughout the story. I think your analysis of the story was great as it explained the way feminism can be seen through the text. It was interesting to know that Mrs. Maloney was able to get away with murder, especially when she had the policemen eat the lamb she cooked. They ate the murder weapon!
It’s such a great twist!
This story was one of my favorites. I think it's interesting how the police never suspected Mary. Even though she came up with an alibi and was able to act with grief and shock, the significant other is almost always a suspect. I originally never thought of the feminist factors that are implemented till watching this video, which made everything make a little more sense. I found it impressive how easily she was able to come up with a plan to keep her from getting caught and how calm she appeared when the police were investigating. It seemed like she 100% knew her plan was going to work and that she was gonna be in the clear for as long as possible.
Yes, I do think Mary is a complex character, specifically because she makes me feel morally compromised every time I read the story.
I really did enjoy reading this story. It made my jaw drop on multiple occasions. When you mentioned the quote where the policeman act like they are doing Mrs. Maloney a favor by eating the whole lamb helped me to connect the dots: She made them eat their own words in a sense---using women stereotypes to fool them. When I read the story, I wasn't seeing the angle of this being a feminist text until your analysis. It taught me to keep an eye on descriptions. Thanks a lot!
Isn’t it great?
It might be evil to say but I really really enjoyed this story and I loved Mary for what she did and how smart she was throughout the whole situation. The stories about men being unfair to their helpless wives and being horrible while only caring about their jobs and social status always makes me so so so angry but this story finally gave me the pleasure of seeing the man get what he deserves. Mary was very quick to plan the whole situation, it makes me believe she had plotted his murder in her head a hundred times before.
Ooh, maybe!
A story like "Lamb to the Slaughter" is especially fascinating to read as it reminds me of a show I recently watched titled How To Get Away with Murder. Just as Mrs. Maloney is completely unaware of the full capabilities she has to perform these heinous acts, the protagonists in the television show too fall prey to the unfortunate act of manslaughter. Characters that seem as almost innocent and too gentle to hurt a fly are capable of so much more in the heat of the moment. Nonetheless; Mrs. Maloney being a woman which is typically unheard of when we associate the image of a 'murderer.'
Thanks for sharing!
I also read this class in my highschool years but in my junior year of highschool. This story always stood out to me because it is gruesome and the killer is not who I expected it to be. I think this story does a good job at acknowledging the stereotypes placed on women being meek and frail so they cannot possibly do something so cruel as well as being too emotional to go through with something like this, however it is that mentality that has been the reaons why in reality many cases have been overlooked because the suspect is a woman. Im really into true crime and some of the most horrific cases were done by woman.
Yes, Dahl definitely criticizes gender roles and the way we look at women.
Having read this story for my English 102 class, it was interesting to reread this story again, as this happens to be one of my favorite suspenseful short stories. A fun fact about this story is that this story, one of many, was published after Dahl's death in order to prevent to taint Dahl's children's book author image. What was interesting and intriguing about the narrative was the satisfaction that Mary and the reader got after Mary successfully got away with murder by serving the police officers the murder weapon to eat away the evidence. But it was more interesting to note the underlying themes of gender roles and expectations in the story.
Thanks for sharing!
I believe this story is about the expected gender roles of men and women. This can be seen heavily with Mary. She does nothing but keep everything tidy and ready for her husband. When he gets home, she gets him a drink and waits for him to talk to her. She obviously is not just dependent on him as women were financially at this time on the man, but she also loves him very much. So what does he tell her? He tells her that he’s leaving her. She doesn’t want to hear it, and believes that if she pretends she didn’t hear it, it didn’t happen. When she comes back from the freezer with a frozen leg of lamb, trying to go about her day as if nothing happened, he makes her feel stupid and that is when she turns on him. After she comes back home, she cries when she finds the body and calls the police. In the end, she gets away with the crime because there is no way a woman can do this to her husband, especially not such a kind one. This demonstrates the role of women again. A woman is believed incapable of being able to kill a man.
Yes, she is dismissed pretty quickly.
This story was quite different from ones I usually read, but I found it to be very interesting. I think the context was somewhat graphic, but I thought it was used effectively by Dahl to get his point across. In terms of Mary’s character, I can’t deny that she is a very smart woman. She knew how to misguide the men, and in the end, it was her intellect that helped her get away with the crime. With that being said, I think Dahl does allude to gender roles in his work. In the past, women were viewed inferior to men, whether it be in intelligence or strength; gender roles placed a heavy emphasis that men were better. With that being said, this story emphasizes a woman’s capabilities to be even better than the men. Due to the ignorance of the male detectives, they let the culprit get away. If anything, the story emphasizes that underestimating a woman is not a good thing to do.
You are right!
I was completely taken aback by this text, which demonstrated how love can drive someone to act insane. It was a clever move on her part, but it was also unsettling to read, that she was able to deceive the investigators by pretending to do her household tasks and destroy the evidence in that way. It makes me wonder if her lifelong frustration as a stay-at-home wife was caused by this pent-up fury.
Yes. She makes us feel morally compromised.
This story was extremely jaw dropping and very thrilling. I thought the things Mrs. Maloney did to her husband was outrageous and also how she was able to cover up they story to the officers. Now I think it was so crazy how in the end the officers were so ignorant and did not realize they were eating the evidence up.
Is she justified?
This story illustrates the assumptions of women and men back in the 1950's which is what ultimately saves Mary. I love that the detectives don't assume any foul play from Mary because she is a woman after all and surely no woman could do such a heinous act. But Mary ends up becoming all but the expectation of women. I understand Mary's frustration and her impulsive reaction but I was not rooting for her. I was instead thinking how horrible it is to get away with murder using the very things that limit you. In a way it is fascinating and genius so it's difficult to not appreciate Mary's actions.
Yes, she makes the reader feel very morally compromised.
Thank you sooo much, you're a life saver. Such an interesting short story!
Glad it helped! Isn’t it so great?! Please be sure to check out some of my other videos for future help!
I am doing a research&analysis essay for my english class. We have to pick 3 literary elements for the theme to the story. My theme is "Betrayal". Would foreshadowing be a literary element?
Yes, absolutely! Good luck on your assignment!
Thank you so much you've made it much clearer. I'm writing an exam tomorrow, this video analysis came at the right time. 😊
I am so glad it helped! Good luck on your exam!
I find this story really interesting, seeing a woman devoting her life and patience and love into a man, who she trusts, and all she seems to do is care about him and think about him, only for him to leave. I agree that people should be loyal, but not to a point of delusion. I also felt frustrated with how she responded to the news, because she should defend herself be a bit more independent from him. It’s odd to me that many men seem to want this type of relationship, where their wives are basically their maids, and these same men are the type to do what her husband did, leave. Though what she did is unjustifiable, but it’s honestly not surprising, to devote your life into loving and serving someone, just to be discarded so easily, it’s not surprising see see some sort of retaliation and in this case is murder.
Is she justified?
Overall, great analysis Professor Koster's on the “Lamb to the Slaughter”! I read this story back in middle school and it’s great seeing it again today. I would say I root for Mary to this day, she was a good woman and she didn't deserve what her husband was doing to her. I was very surprised at the fact still how easily she got away with the murder, I didn't suspect she would ever do something like that. I also do believe the doll is commenting on traditional gender roles as yes they can be both limiting and deceptive.
Do you think her act is justifiable?
Thank you for this video! I needed some help with 13:23 a homework and this made me understand everything 😊
Yea!! So glad it helped! I have a lot of other lectures on my page if you ever need more help with lit. Thanks for watching!
@@drwhitneykosters I'll check them out ♥
Great insight and wonderful analysis. This helped me understand the story more.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This story is probably one of my favorite stories from this class becase of how intriguing it is. Not only was the plot of the story very good as Mary goes on to kill her husband and proceeds to get away with it, but she also conveys a manipulation of gender roles throughout the story. At first she is portrayed as a submissive wife to her husband who treats her very poorly but yet she still does everything in her power to make him happy. When it was found that he was leaving her she decided to kill him with the piece of lamb that she was planning on cooking him for dinner. She then manipulated the police into coming to investigate, thinking she could never be the one who committed the crime, then served them the murder weapon without them knowing. This is such a great story that portrays the underestimation of women. I also love the murder mystery vibe it gives off because it just makes it that much more interesting and fun to read.
Thanks for sharing!
This story took a turn I did not expect, but I was not disappointed. I feel so bad for Mary with the way she tried so hard to be a devoted wife to make sure that her husband came home to comfort. To just have the husband completely treat her horribly and it makes me feel sad at how her whole identity is basically being is wife. I wish that Mary would have defended herself in the situation with her husband instead of saying that she will go get super and leave him. I find it funny at how clueless the cops were and they would have never suspected that the murder weapon was right below their nose all because of the underestimation that men have of women, but I guess in this story it was a good thing as she was able to get away with murder. The way that she played this innocent women role and got away with murder is honestly funny because I feel that men in today's society may feel that women are clueless and helpless, but that is not true just like women we are strong and we are not weak.
You think she should have gotten away with murder?
This is one of my favorite stories to read. There are many different ways to interpret "Lamb to the Slaughter" and Mary's character. I do believe that gender roles are an important theme within the story. As stated in the lecture, women are seen to be warm, safe, and comfortable, but it was unexpected for a woman to be capable of doing such violence. My thoughts on the reasoning behind this irony are that Roald Dahl wanted to portray what suppressed and hidden emotions can do to one. Mary was always on top of her duties; she cooked, cleaned, and cared for her husband, but to what extent could she handle this all? It's ironic how Mary is so calm about her husband's death even when the police are there. This allows me to question why Roald Dahl included gender roles. It was to show the limits women had in the 1950s. Furthermore, at the end of the story, I was rooting for Mary because, in my opinion, women should not have just to take care of their husbands; they should also get to have their own lives.
Do you think she should have gotten away with murder?
I understand how this book plays with gender roles although I feel like its also apart of Roald Dahls way of writing twists in his stories. He has two other story that feel similar in a way "Mary and William" and "The Way up to Heaven" also "The Land Lady" where "SPOILERS" in the beginning of these stories the women are all described in very feminine traits and also more on the quiet and subservient side. Then by the end of the story something happens where the power dynamic switches and the men are in the mercy of the women and the women show no mercy. I still like how he wrights his stories and how the power dynamics happened. Although in my opinion I think he cares a little less about the gender dynamics and more about telling entertaining stories that change the way you look at things. I know that sounds like same thing but what I mean is that he has twists in all his stories. I do have a question, what do you think she did after she had her kid? Do you think she would then turn herself in? Do you think she would stay getting away with the crime and raise it? Because it seemed like to me that if she knew that the police wait for her to deliver that she would have turn herself in, thats the reason why she was even questioning it, which would also show that she would be fine with her child being raised by some other people. The way I feel about her throughout the story was odd, at first I didn't like her because although her husband was terrible shattering his skull and murdering him was not the way to go, also because he was a detective one could argue that other future crimes could be committed and also not be found because he's dead, he could be a bad person who still helps people. So in the beginning I was rooting for her failure but when she decided to act not for herself and for her child another life I started to root for her, I also love that the first thing she does is go and get a alibi, that's the smartest thing she could do in my opinion. In my class we played a game where we had to try and prove that she did it, and I almost won, the thing is that alibi is something I couldn't get pass. I said it's odd that she would want the officers to drink, why would she be doing that? Wouldn't she want them at their best in order to solve the case? It makes sense that she would want to drink and want someone else to drink but then why would she want the police's company when she refuse the officers offer to go with his wife, I mean the guys wife would probably be able to talk to her a lot better and make her feel alot more comfortable, men couldn't really express their feelings back then and they would be working so why would she want to stay with them? It's almost like she is staying there for a specific reason. Plus she made a whole meal? Could anyone have their spouse die then prepare a entire meal just like that? I wonder, theres a good chance she was preparing the meal before she went to the store, so that means that whatever's been cooking must have been frozen, (then from past experience I would know that people have broken their toes by dropping frozen food on them) I wonder is someone could have use something shaped like this and as big as this to hurt someone? Could it be that she killed him with that lamb and refused to the offer to go with the cops wife because she intended to get to officers drunks or more easy to mold and manipulate, so that she could get them to eat the lamb which would get rid of the murder weapon? The thing is that alibi, how could someone brutally murder their own spouse in the back of the head then go on to the store and act like nothing happend? what kind of a sick monster could reach such levels of emotionless thinking and ability to manipulate others so well? I think it would be impossible to murder someone and so easily walk to the store and act like nothing happen. So long story short, I have gray feelings for her but loved the story, if you ever want to see a story thats basically this for like 20 mintues a episode you should watch "Death Note" its really good. In a way it's kinda like what would happend if mary was a man and instead of killing one person she kills many people and instead of some incompetent cops its a taskforce that are all intelligent.
I love your passion for Mary and the way she can be interpreted! And, yes, I think you’re right about how Dahl is more interested in the twist than gender roles; after all, it is rumored that he basically left his own wife in the same way Patrick leaves Mary. Dahl is my favorite writer primarily because he has these dark, macabre stories that you just don’t see coming at first.
There’s some psychoanalysis to be done on Mary, for sure, and remember: we only know her for a day; we don’t know what her past experiences have been. I think she’s definitely smart enough to have them drink to compromise their clarity, but, to be fair, and especially at this time, I don’t know that many would have thought much about having a drink, even in a situation like this. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! It was so wonderful to read.
I very much enjoyed this story, and enjoyed even more that the main character got away with it, as I am a fan of morbid endings. Do the ends justify the means? Probably not, but it is rather interesting to see the makings of a murder within the context of a singular event, the reasonings behind it and what followed.
I enjoy that she got away with it, too, as it’s what makes the irony and the story. But… she really shouldn’t have. It is interesting how many readers are glad she did. I mean, her husband was a jerk but not that big of a jerk!
I imagined a sequel where Mary tells her teenage son whom she named Patrick after his father how he really died and why she killed him. Patrick is upset at his mom at first but later understands why she killed him. Patrick then imagines killing his mom with frozen lamb and contemplates on whether or not he should really do it.
I love this sequel! You should write it! I suspect the kid would do it in a fit of rage over not having a dad in a sensitive moment or circumstance. It’s always so fun thinking of characters and their circumstances post story or even changing the story in terms of point of view, environment, or whatever!!
Are you an English major or just an avid reader?
Jennifer Morrow: In the short story by Roald Dahl, "Lamb to the Slaughter", I think there was a good reason Mary's husband Patrick was leaving her. I doubt that he was leaving her for a woman, but it's possible. I think it's interesting that Dahl wrote the characters as Irish - Patrick Maloney and Mary. I'm not sure what slant it might put on it in the time period it was written in. I was aware that Dahl wrote Mary as someone who had no life outside her husband and soon to be born baby. The kind of adoration she displayed to his every whim and to his person was too subservient and a possible harbinger of mental health issues. We the reader aren't told what Daniel said to Mary as it was just outlined that he spoke to her for four or five minutes (Dahl). Patrick was a police officer, and probably well-trained and intelligent enough to spot when someone's behavior is off and figure out he'd gotten himself into a bad marriage. I'd like to back up a chapter or two (if it were a book) and see what else was going on. I was rooting for her a little at the beginning just because he was dumping her, but stopped, as there might have been a good reason he was dumping her. She was definitely a manipulator for her purposes, even in her happy behavior to him. After all, she was a police officer's wife. I think Dahl deliberately left Daniel's reasons unknown so that the reader would try to figure out that Mary was the "bad" person in this story. I think the only thing Dahl was commenting on in gender roles is that someone can present an illusion of "oh, helpless me" when practicing deceit, and get away with it. She should get caught.
Thanks for sharing.
I hate to get personal once again, but here I go with another story that was triggering. Except the only difference between Mary & I is that I didn't commit murder, but I did commit a complete breakdown to a past 6 year relationship. It was 2018, a couple days before my birthday, I assumed my partner at the time we are happy & no matter how much we fought I use to think that it always brought us closer. However a day before my birthday things seem shifted, it felt more tense, my partner seemed distant. They said everything was fine told me they loved me & that I shouldn't overthink. I couldn't let it go & I kept picking at the situation & it led us to a big fight throughout the entire day. Usually when we would fight we would talk it out or yell it out (toxic I know), & everything would be fine. That was our routine, we fight, we make up, & cycle continues. Except the cycle stopped, when I asked out of rage "do you not love me anymore?" & they say "NO I DON'T LOVE YOU!" We broke up then and there, but I couldn't leave them alone, I remember crying & asking them "How can you say that, when you told me all day you loved me prior to this!?" As it turns out, they've had 2nd thoughts for the past month, & I remember feeling disgusted because there was intimacy & I felt used. Out of anger I said "You should had left me by then!" To which they respond with "Well I wasn't sure." Whenever I look back to this relationship, I always tell myself things should had ended after 2 years of dating (It was toxic). All in all, I wish them well because they were my friend since middle school so I get more upset about that rather than the relationship but that doesn't mean I'm over the trauma. Now as for Mary, I understand she really loved her husband, just like how I really loved my ex-partner but for her to commit murder is still not okay, so the real question is did she really love him?
Thank you for sharing this.
Ronald Dahl eventually left his wife Patricia Neal in much the same manner. I remember her saying “It was ghastly”.
Really?! This is fascinating that he’d do this, especially after (or maybe before?) writing a story like this one! Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea, though from the bits and pieces I do know, Dahl had a fascinating life.
One of the greats. He did a lot for the world of stroke victims and his techniques were used.@@drwhitneykosters
Wow, that's pretty deep. Perhaps he was feeling lucky!
A fine analysis.
The story reminds me of the Biblical account of Deborah in Judges 5, almost identical in nature. Interesting that God - obviously, as the Creator - knows women very well! I suspect Dahl was familiar with the Judges 5 passage, also.
And it’s especially notable where Patrick Maloney is standing with his back to Mary, paying her no mind as she simply and freely walks up behind him to deliver the fatal blow. He is indeed like a “lamb to the slaughter,” entirely oblivious to his fate, waiting like a . . . well, there you have it.
Thank you for sharing this story, as I’m unfamiliar with it. I will definitely be checking it out, globyois! Thank you for watching!
Who needs onlyfans when you can learn about books!!!! A+++++
Yessssss, Mr. Weis!
This is a story you wouldn’t expect Roald Dahl to write. Anyway, I thought this story was interesting. Mary murders her husband with a frozen lamb and serves it for dinner for the policemen. I don’t blame Mary for giggling at the end. However, I wonder what she’s going to do now now that her unborn child doesn’t have a father now. We also never find out what her husband (Patrick), said to her to make her kill him.
Yes, I know, right?! I wonder what she’ll tell her child when they’re older. I guess what she told the police-that he was murdered while she was out.
I’m curious why you say you wouldn’t expect Roald Dahl to write this story? Many people don’t know that he wrote some very macabre and somewhat disturbing short stories for adults. If you’re into that kind of stuff, I highly recommend him! The Landlady, Skin, The Way up to Heaven, Pig, and William and Mary are fantastic!
She will just find another guy.
@@gujh03 I imagined a sequel where her son Patrick Jr., murders her with a frozen leg of lamb as well after finding out his mother killed his father.
Thanks!
I love your channel. I’m going to actually read this story. I’ve only seen the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode based on it.
Mary was awesome. I’m glad she got away with it. Patrick was such a jerk.
Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much!! I really appreciate this. Please let me know what you think of the story. It’s just so, so good. Have you read much of Dahl’s other works for adults? Ooh, they’re so macabre and creepy. Would always enjoy talking to someone else about Dahl. He’s become my favorite author (after Dickens, of course). I actually have a lecture on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, too, as I’m currently teaching children’s literature this semester. And, yes. I sort of root for Mary, too… she makes me feel very morally compromised in that way.
Can you please analyse a dip in the pool
Sure! I’ll put it on my list!
@@drwhitneykosters thank you that’s soooo kind I need that so thank youuuu 💕
@@drwhitneykosters btw you look so elegant in your videos and you are so expressive it’s so refreshing. I wish someday I can articulate like you
Oh, thank you! If you really want to know, recording is awkward for me, though it’s getting easier. 😅Haha.
@@drwhitneykosters wow one can’t really notice that you’re doing a great job 😊
I did not like Mary from her first words - she was being too subservient. Her endless "darlings" and her blindness to non-verbal signs felt wrong. Une "femme soumise". I cannot see a convincing manifestation of love in subservience. Is it my interpretation based on my presuppositions. I had no sympathy for either characters.
I can understand that! I think that Mary is so subservient, though, because Dahl is emphasizing the absurdness of the expected gender codes women faced at the time, and Mary’s extreme reaction at the end suggests that the expectations were suppressing, if not abusive to her, and she snapped. I do think it’s Dahl’s criticism of these gender roles, ultimately.
@@drwhitneykosters Thank you for your reply, and thank you for the video - it helped me prepare for an English lesson.
You are a cutee. Where did you get that jumper from ?
It’s a sweater by Madewell.