Questions for "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl

Directions: Answer each question on a separate sheet of loose leaf paper using complete sentences.

o Make sure that you fully explain your answers.

1. What sort of story does the title lead us to expect?

2. What do the first three paragraphs of the story suggest about Mary Maloney’s relationship with her husband?

3. Before Mr. Maloney tells his wife shocking news, what THREE (3) clues are there that this particular evening is going to be different than usual?

4. What does Mr. Maloney tell his wife that is shocking and that, initially, she has trouble believing?

5. How would you have expected Mrs. Maloney to have reacted to the shocking news?

6. Explain your opinion about how Mrs. Maloney handles things after the murder.

7. Near the end of the story the author writes: "…their voices thick and sloppy because their mouths were full of meat."

o What does this detailed image do for the story?

8. Find another quote from the story that creates a specific detailed image.

o Write the quote AND explain what the detailed image does for the story.

9. Explain how the author shows a character’s thoughts or feelings.

10. What do the thoughts and feelings that you wrote about for question #9 do for the story?