“Lamb to the Slaughter” – Classroom Activities

Link: https://www.roalddahlfans.com/students-teachers/teacher-ideas/lamb-to-the-slaughter-classroom-activities/

1. Jigsaw

The following excerpts all come from the short story. They are jumbled up. Try to arrange them
in the correct order.

 “For God’s sake,” he said, hearing her, but not turning round, “don’t make supper for me. I’m
going out.”
 “Tired, darling?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’m tired.”
 “It’s the old story,” he said. “Get the weapon and you’ve got the man.”
 “This is going to be a bit of a shock to you, I’m afraid,” he said.
 When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later,
punctually as always, she heard the tyres on the gravel outside…
 “Personally, I think it’s right here on the premises.”
 All the old love and longing for him welled up inside her, and she ran over to him, knelt down
beside him, and began to cry her heart out.
 “Quick! Come quick! Patrick’s dead!”
 Soon, other men began to come into the house. First a doctor, then two detectives, one of whom
she knew by name.

2. The Perfect Murder

What would be the ingredients of the “perfect murder”?

Put the following ideas into order of importance. (Add ideas of your own if you want to.)

a) It should be easy to arrange. f) It should be cheap.

b) It should leave no clues. g) No violence should be necessary.

c) There should be no noise. h) It should look like an accident.

d) It should look like suicide. i) It should be quick.

e) It should take place in a lonely, isolated j) The murderer should have a good alibi.
place.
3. Vocabulary

Find the following words in the story and try to work out their meaning. Join them to the
definitions on the right. The first one has been done to get you started!
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1_wBHdDQuHRae4XBzt5B-
ODgAF5or26Gr0z5hY31ow2Q/pub

4. Pre-reading activities:

 Who was Roald Dahl and which of his stories are familiar to the students?
 “How do you react when you are shocked or surprised by something?”
 “What does a healthy relationship look like to you?”
 Let´s read the first paragraph together. Underline difficult words and find explanations.
Decide what this story is about. All the groups should try to make a plot summary of
“their story” which they can present to the rest of the class.

5. Reading the story:

 Read the first paragraphs together in class.

 After having read the third (second paragraph), write a description of Mary Maloney.
What is she like, what is it in the text that tells us so? Include quotes from the text to
illustrate.
 Read until the line: It wasn’t till then that she began to get frightened.
 Answer the following questions individually:

 How would you describe Mr. Maloney?

 What can you tell about the relationship between the two characters?
 Why is Mary Maloney frightened?
 What do you think will happen next?

 Share your ideas and answers with their shoulder partners before we talk about them in
class.

 Read as far as Mary Maloney didn’t know. And she certainly wasn’t prepared to take a
chance.
  Come up with ideas as to how she can escape getting caught and punished for the crime
she has committed.
 Read the rest of the story individually before answering the questions under:
 We are never actually told what Patrick tells Mary when he comes home that
night. What do you think he tells her? What in the text makes you think so? Use
quotes to illustrate.
 Why was this a bad time for Patrick to tell Mary this?
 What is the setting of the story? Where and when does the story take place?
What in the text makes you think so? Use quotes to illustrate.
 What do you make of the title of the story?

6. "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl Questions and Answers

Link: https://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/123135-study-questions-for-lamb-to-the-
slaughter/#what-point-of-view-is-lamb-to-the-slaughter-told-from-and-why-is-that-important

What Point of View Is “Lamb to the Slaughter” Told From and Why Is That Important?
What Influence Does Mary’s Pregnancy Have on the Story?
Why Are the Exact Words Patrick Says When Leaving Mary Left Out?
Why Is Patrick’s Profession Important?
What Is the Dramatic Irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
What Is the Origin and Meaning of the Title “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
Why Does Mary Insist the Police Eat the Leg of Lamb?

“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

is a fun story that uses irony and perspective to create a truly enjoyable story. Still, to get the
greatest value out of this story, it is worthwhile to understand not only what happens in the
story but why it happens. From the way the situations of the characters change them to the
decisions they make, everything in this story must work together to create a masterpiece.

What Point of View Is “Lamb to the Slaughter” Told From and Why Is That Important?

“Lamb to the Slaughter” is told from the point of view of Mary Maloney**.** This choice to tell
the story from the point of view of the murderer is an interesting choice and one that largely
defines this story. The reader knows only what she knows. At times, such as the end of the
story, this means that the reader knows more than the other characters, especially in relation to
the leg of lamb. On the other hand, the reader is not given access to the reasoning behind
Patrick’s decision to leave. This makes it far easier for the reader to be on Mary’s side when she
makes questionable decisions.

What Influence Does Mary’s Pregnancy Have on the Story?

Early in the story, the reader discovers that Mary Maloney is pregnant. This understanding is
important to the story on a number of levels. The most basic is that it helps the reader to
understand just what it is that her husband is doing by leaving her. This makes the story more
ambiguous in morality by making the reader associate with the woman more. In addition, it
almost certainly helps keep her from being suspected. The motherly instinct of protection is
invoked by this understanding as anyone can understand the instinct of a mother protecting her
child and the fear of execution is vital to making Mary a more positive character.
Why Are the Exact Words Patrick Says When Leaving Mary Left Out?
In the middle of the conversation between Patrick and Mary, the narration changes for a single
paragraph at the very climax of the conversation. Patrick leads into the conversation with the
hope she won’t blame him too much. It then says that he told her, though not exactly what, and
ends with him saying that he will take care of her. This change in narration is disconcerting and
in large part that is the point. This helps the reader to understand the disorientation and
detachment of Mary.

In addition to this, by not telling the reader exactly what happened, it gives far more power to
the reader in the interpretation of her later actions. By not knowing exactly what he said, it lets
the reader decide if Mary’s actions in the rest of the story are justified or not.

Why Is Patrick’s Profession Important?

Patrick is a police detective. This bit of information is vital to the story in a number of ways. As
a story in which the reader is supposed to empathize with the murderer, having the victim be a
vital and trusted member of society creates even more conflict in the mind. In addition to this, it
plays with two basic ideas, that the police will look for a killer more vigorously if an officer is
killed, but also that she knows the officers who will investigate the crime. This means that they
are more likely to be comfortable with her. Also important is the understanding that Mary is
likely to have an escape of being arrested for the crime. As the wife of a police detective, she
has almost certainly heard many stories about crimes that he has solved and how he has done
it. Finally, this creates many other suspects that could have committed the crime because as a
police detective he has many enemies.

What Is the Dramatic Irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

There are a couple of moments of dramatic irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter.” These are cases in
which the reader understands more than the characters. The most clear of these occurs near
the end of the story. Mary has called the police and the detectives are in her house. As they are
eating the leg of lamb, one of the officers says in relation to the murder weapon that it is
“probably right under our very noses.” This statement is literally true though the officer who
says it has no idea what he is saying.

What Is the Origin and Meaning of the Title “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
The original use of “Lamb to the Slaughter” is found in the Bible. This phrase is located in both
Jeremiah and Isaiah. It refers to someone who goes innocently and unconcernedly into a
dangerous or life threatening situation. In the story “Lamb to the Slaughter,” it has a number of
meanings though.
The first clear meaning is one that is a form of dark humor. The lamb in this case is actually a
murder weapon. This twists the meaning of lamb to the slaughter into something that is not a
metaphor but what actually happens.

While the first meaning is clear, the metaphorical use of the statement is still valid and in fact
there are two people who go into a situation like lambs to the slaughter. The first of these is the
murder victim who, while knowing he is going to do something uncomfortable, has no idea what
is going to happen to him. The second though is Mary herself. It is the shock because she
doesn’t know what is coming and that shock is what drives her over the edge.
Why Does Mary Insist the Police Eat the Leg of Lamb?

In the story, Mary asks the detectives to eat the leg of lamb she had made for her husband, and
even when they turn it down, she insists that they eat this. This insistence is important beyond
simply the idea that it is the murder weapon. By having the detectives eat the lamb, they have
destroyed the evidence which will make them look stupid even if they later understand. This
will discourage them from thinking of it as a weapon. In addition, because she ensures they
have seen the murder weapon rather than hiding it, she defies the expectations as most
criminals hide the weapon.

What is the main lesson of “Lamb to the Slaughter?”

“Lamb to the Slaughter” illustrates how seemingly ordinary people can react in extraordinary
ways when pushed to their limits. It serves as a commentary on the complexities of human
behavior, the unpredictability of life, and the consequences of impulsive actions.

This short story is also a great starting point to exploring more complex concepts like implicit
bias, domestic violence, and the criminal justice system.