WorksheetsLamb to the Slaughter Review
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 27mins
"Her skin - for this was her sixth month with child - had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before"
What does this sentence tell us?
She's pregnant
She's worried
She's looking after children
Why does Mary Maloney kill her husband Patrick?
He's leaving her
Pregnancy has made her crazy
She's tired of looking after him
She's having an affair
Before he leaves her, what does Mary Maloney's life revolve around?
Her husband, Patrick.
Her pregnancy
Her house
Her job
In the very last line - "And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle." - why does Mary Maloney giggle?
She's gotten away with murder
She knows she's going to jail
She's free of her abusive husband
When the detectives are talking about the murder weapon over their meal, they say:
"'Personally, I think it's right here on the premises,'
'Probably right under our very noses. What you think, Jack?'"
What language feature is this an example of?
Personification
Simile
Hyperbole
Irony
Mary didn't plan on killing her husband. It was just sudden rage.
True
False
The detectives eat the murder weapon. This is part of the story's...
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Resolution
We know Patrick is upset when he gets home for all the following reasons EXCEPT...
he is speaking rudely.
he is drinking a lot.
he is late.
he answers "no" to Mary's questions.
Roald Dahl does not tell us exactly what Mr. Maloney says to Mrs. Maloney, but we can still tell he is leaving her. Why is this?
We know from her reaction that it's bad news
He does say, he will "see that she's looked after" so we know he won't be there to do it
That's the only possible thing he could have said
He leaves immediately after.
What excuse does Mrs. Maloney offer for serving the detectives the lamb?
Patrick was a friend of theirs and he wouldn't hear of them going hungry while working
She cooked it especially for them
They're worked a long hard day and thus they must be hungry
Why does Mrs. Maloney wait on her husband like she does?
He is an abusive husband
The story takes place in the 1950's and this is normal behaviour
She's bored out of her mind
She's leaving him so wants to be extra nice before she does
Why does the author tell us that Mrs. Maloney is pregnant?
It sets the stage for how betrayed she feels due to being committed in more ways than one to the relationship
There is no reason
The detectives will assume she didn't do it because she's pregnant
It makes the audience pity her
What evidence from the text tells the reader that Patrick was nervous to talk to Mary?
“There was a little muscle moving near the corner of his left eye.”
“He lifted his glass and drained it in one swallow.”
“He had finished the second drink and was staring down into the glass, frowning.”
All of the above
What evidence tells us that Patrick was selfish?
Patrick tells her that he hopes she will not make a fuss because it would not be good for his job.
Patrick drinks two drinks before talking to Mary about his plan to leave her.
Patrick tells Mary that he will leave her some money.
“Then she made the drinks, a strong one for him and a weak one for herself; and soon she was back again in her chair with the sewing, and he was in the other chair, holding the tall glass, rolling it gently so that the ice knocked musically against the side of the glass.”
The excerpt is most strongly an example of
hyperbole
sensory imagery
foreshadowing
simile
“Then she made the drinks, a strong one for him and a weak one for herself; and soon she was back again in her chair with the sewing, and he was in the other chair, holding the tall glass, rolling it gently so that the ice knocked musically against the side of the glass.”
The strong and weak drink are symbolic of
the amount of power each has in the story.
Mary's pregnancy.
the bad news Mr. Maloney gives Mary.
the leg of lamb.
What is the significance of the title “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
Lamb is Patrick's favorite meal.
Patrick and Mary are both like lambs to the slaughter because they have no idea what is about to happen to them.
The police can't find the murder weapon.
It is from the Bible.
Why do you think Dahl chose to write the story primarily from Mary’s perspective?
The other characters were not as interesting.
The story becomes more frightening because we know how much she hates Patrick.
The story becomes more interesting because the reader knows about her thoughts and feelings.
Because her name is Mary, and the story is about lamb.
Patrick tries to console Mary by saying, “I’ll give you money and see that you are looked after.” Patrick feels _______.
relieved
loving
guilty
angry
Mary asks for a drink, and she persuades the men to also have one, even though “It is not strictly allowed” because they are _______.
friends of her husband
working
religious
uncomfortable around her
Why is Patrick’s name not mentioned until halfway through the story?
The reader doesn’t need to know his name.
It isn't important until then.
He does not appear to care for his wife as much as she cares for him.
He is not an important character.
Mary is content with her middle class life and looks forward to the future because she is _______.
moving
pregnant
getting a new job
very pretty
To pass the time while she waits for her husband’s arrival home, Mary _______.
crochets
scrapbooks
watches TV
sews
Patrick empties the last half of his drink “in one swallow,” which is quite unusual, and then he gets up to make himself another drink, even though Mary usually makes the drinks. She says she will make it, but he refuses her offer. Patrick wants to talk, and he needs the alcohol to give him ________.
courage
a headache
reason
indigestion
“There really needn’t be any fuss. I hope not anyway,” Patrick says. He is concerned about his ______.
finances
daughter
job
dinner
Mary usually has dinner ready for Patrick, but on this night she has not made supper because it is Thursday, and on Thursday they go _________.
to bed without supper
out to dinner
to Mary's parents' house
pick up a pizza
Mary’s world is shattered. Instead of dealing with the pieces, she decides to pretend the last ten minutes never happened; she deludes herself: “It occurred to her that perhaps he hadn’t even spoken, that she herself had imagined the whole thing. Maybe, if she went about her business, … she might find that none of it had ever happened.” Mary is stunned; she is in a state of ________.
denial
grace
awe
confusion
The leg of lamb is frozen solid. “She might as well as have hit him with a _______ club.”
steel
wooden
rock
wrench
The noise of her husband hitting the floor brings Mary out of her state of shock. “All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.” She recognizes and acknowledges what she has done, and then her mind clears very quickly because “she knew quite well what the penalty would be.” She has little concern for herself; in fact, she admits the punishment “would be a relief.” However, she is very concerned about her _______.
marriage
friends
unborn child
her hair appointment
Mary does an extremely good job of convincing herself that nothing has happened. She keeps telling herself to “Do everything right and natural.” She does such a good job of self-persuasion, that when she gets home she is not “expecting to find anything at all.” She reaffirms that if she keeps everything “absolutely natural, there’ll be no need for _______.”
acting
emotion
calling the police
freaking out
Who does Mary talk to in order to establish her alibi?
Sam the detective
Sam the grocer
Sam the neighbor
Sam the lawyer
Who is the protagonist of "Lamb to Slaughter"?
Mrs. Maloney
Mr. Maloney
Charlie
Sgt. Jack Noonan
Which word best describes Mary in the second half of the story?
Attentive
Loving
Angry
Clever
