In the short story “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Roald gives an account of a woman who attempts to find strength in a disgraceful way. The author uses the title “Lamb to the Slaughter” to mean an individual taken to their demise unknowingly. The phrase is a metaphor that shows hidden from the truth and wrongdoing being done to an individual without awareness. Through the short story, Roald shows bravery and betrayal in some characters and uses a variety of rhetorical devices to communicate the message.
Bravery in Roald’s short novel “Lamb to the Slaughter” is demonstrated through Mary’s actions in the story. Mary welcome her husband warmly by saying “Hullo Darling” which does not signify any bad intentions (Dahl 1).For instance, Mary bravely commits to marriage despite her husband’s betrayal. She intentionally intends to kill her husband due to the shock she gets after being betrayed. Through bravery, Mary hides the truth that she murdered her husband and maintains her innocence even when the police investigate the scene. Moreover, killing her husband requires physical strength; however, Mary manages to kill Patrick.
Another aspect drawn from Roald’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” is betrayal. The author shows the severe effects that betrayal can have on an individual and those betrayed because it can result in long-lasting effects. Betrayal in the short story is demonstrated through characters like Patrick and his wife, Mary. Patrick betrays his wife by leaving their marriage and goes to live alone. By leaving his marriage, Patrick betrays his wife, their unborn baby, and their domestic life. The betrayal becomes a shock to Mary, and she, in turn, betrays her husband by killing her husband and calling the police, intending to cover the murder. Through the characters, Roald shows how betrayal is the root of betrayals that end up being disastrous to an individual.
The use of rhetorical devices is a technique that Roald has employed in the short story “Lamb to the Slaughter.” The short story uses a variety of rhetorical devices, such as irony throughout the story. The irony is the most prominent rhetorical device in the “Lamb to the Slaughter,” where Roald creates more situational irony in the story. Situational irony is demonstrated through how certain events unpredictably turn, leaving the readers amazed (Tanusy 160). For example, the opening of the story depicts a marital harmony that calms readers into a false security sense; however, it ironically how Miss Malony kills her husband, an act that is expected based on the woman’s devotion as described at the opening of the story. Also, dramatic irony arises throughout the story since readers know some events; however, the characters are unaware. For example, Malony says, “Patrick’s decided he is tired,” and tries to hide that she did not kill her husband, an event that the readers well know. Thus, irony captivates readers’ desire to know more about the story. In conclusion, Roald’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” shows themes of bravery, and betrayal, among others, by using rhetorical devices that make the story captivating to the readers.
Works Cited
Dahl, Roald. Lamb to the Slaughter (A Roald Dahl Short Story). Penguin UK, 2012.
Tanusy, Jeanyfer. “Feminism in Roald Dahl’s” Lamb to the Slaughter”: A Semiotic Analysis.” Fourth Prasasti International Seminar on Linguistics (Prasasti 2018). Atlantis Press, (2018): 159-163
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