By Rohal Dahl

A Wolf in

Sheep's

Clothing?

A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

On the surface, Mary Maloney, the story's

protagonist, is a typical 1950s housewife: attentive,

respectful, pleasant, and kind, but never too flashy.

Little do we know, however, about the murderer who

lurks beneath this trust-worthy image.

At the beginning she almost seems a victim, the title

of the short story seems to support this view

A BLACK COMEDYWith this inventive homocide

THEMES

The main theme in 'Lamb

to the Slaughter' is

concerned with how we

overlook the true nature of

a person or situation when

we allow preconceived

notions to cloud our

judgment.

Mistaken identities:

A traditional housewife rebelling

An unfaithful outrageous husband

Detectives who eat the murderer's weapon

SYLE

The subtle alternation

between interior

monologue and dialogue

builds a sort of suspense

arousing the reader's

attention.

A black humorist tone is

another ingredient of the

tale of the unexpected.