The Lamb to the Slaughter Critical Essay

Introduction

The Lamb to the Slaughter is a story of murder that was conducted by Mary who unintentionally killed her husband after striking him on the head using the leg of the limb that she had planned to prepare it for dinner. She successfully covers herself as a killer, after she goes to the grocery to purchase vegetable and upon arriving at the house; she calls the police officers to inform them of the death of her husband.

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This story goes against the conventional notion of displaying women as a weaker gender, which are obedient, meager character that are unable to perform something significant than keeping a house, and prepare meals for the family or anything that involves physical and intellectual strength the view of eliminating the protagonist in the story as killer is reasonable. Hence, it is clear men have defined the concept regarding the role of women in what has taken place. Men have applied perception of these roles to determine her innocence with or without evidence. Mary was going to be dined justice rightfully, depending on how men belittled strength of women.

Ronald through the lamb to the slaughter wants to shows that women equally perform activities involving using either bodily or mental strength not the only domestic role but also they can be involved in activities that need physical and mental strength. As the story commences, Mary is seen growing bored of waiting for his husbands; she performs her motherly duties by proposing on cooking despite being heavily pregnant and being pissed off who told her of his intention of leaving her. Mar physical strength is demonstrated by striking her husband to death using the aid of leg of lamb; she did not believe she did so, perhaps is because she was influenced by the prejudice concerning women.

Killing her husband open more opportunities to express her mental strength. Mary creatively plans a scene that covered her guiltiness, she goes immediately to the store to purchase vegetable- female role, and upon her arrival, and she calls the police officers to inform them of the death of the husband. As the police officers arrive, they live Mary to pursue what society except her; cooking as they search for evidence as no point they suspect the killer could be Mary because they believe women are the weak object that cannot perform the act such a murder that involves physical strength.

Mary Malone is entirely ruled out as a suspect in the murder case of her husband, and the plot alludes to the reason. The writer creates a picture of a friendly and a warm a "curiously peaceful" woman, "without anxiety" (Dahl, 2016). This setting neutralize emotion of the reader, to see how affectionate and caring Malone is, the defectives are treating her kindly because she was found cooking ; something men except from woman, if maybe she was found doing something beyond the society expectation she could be handled as a suspect.one of the detectives goes an extra mile telling her how her husband had been killed, (as if she did not have a hint), and that they desired to find the weapon, but, "The murderer might have taken it with him, but he might have thrown it away or hidden it" (Dahl, 2016). Another detective adds, "Whoever did it, he can't carry a weapon that big around with him" (Dah, 2016). They shoulder that only a man could crush the victim's skull. The detectives are so defused by Mary Maloney and their insight of women and their innocence; they then unconsciously eat the murder weapon. It is clear that detectives approved integrity of Maloney based on how women are portrayed by the society, without evidence of her guiltiness or innocence. This prejudice narrows the spectrum of the investigation leading to unfair treatment of Patrick death case. Most probably, she was never judged guilty because she was eliminated from the equation. This story is a revelation that women have ability to use equally physical and mind strength like male, hence is wrong and injustice to restrict them within confide of household.

Works Cited

Dahl, Roald. "Lamb to the Slaughter. "The World's Best Short Stories: Anthology & Criticism. Vol. 5: Mystery and Detection. Great Neck, NY: Roth Publishing, Inc., 1991. 58. The World's Best Series. LitFinder. Web. 18 June 2016.