Lamb to the Slaughter

Who wrote the story?

• William DeMille

• William Golding

• Ronald Talbert

• Roald Dahl

Who is the protagonist in the story?

• the police

• Sam, the grocer

• Patrick Maloney, the husband

• Mary Maloney, the wife

How does Detective Noonan's comment about the murder weapon affect Mary's actions?

• It causes Mary to feel guilty about fooling the detectives

• It causes Mary to act naturally when the detectives question her.

• It causes Mary to pretend that she and her husband were getting along.

• It causes Mary to trick the detectives into destroying the murder weapon.

Why does Mary kill her husband? Pick the BEST answer here.

• Because he was going to leave her

• Because he was seeing a younger woman

• Because he was more worried about his job than his wife

• Because she worries about the harm that her arrest could bring to her unborn child

When the detectives eat the leg of lamb, they are eating the murder weapon. We, the readers, know this but the detectives do not. What type of irony is this?

• verbal

• dramatic

• situational

Who is the first suspect the police consider in the murder of Patrick Maloney?

• Sam

• Mary

• a burglar

• the next door neighbor

What is the MAIN reason Mary went to the grocer after killing her husband.

• to buy groceries for dinner

• to check on Sam and his condition

• to leave the house so the burglar could enter and she would come to no harm

• to pretend she was not at home when her husband killed

Why do the police ultimately believe Mary is innocent?

• because she is pregnant

• because she made dinner for them

• because of Sam's testimony

• because there is no murder weapon

How does Mary truly get away with murder?

• the detectives are not very smart

• her husband deserved to be killed

• because she was pregnant

• Mary's careful planning

"There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil."

The above quote describes Mary BEFORE her husband got home. Select the best adjective below to describe how Mary felt.

• happy

• dull

• excited

• calm