Lamb To The Slaughter

Mary’s husband is an unsympathetic character, and Dahl presents him as the story’s antagonist. While Mary eagerly anticipates his arrival, his appearance introduces conflict into the serene domestic setting.

The unequal power dynamic in the Maloneys’ marriage is immediately evident from Mr. Maloney’s responses to his wife. While she greets him with an affectionate kiss and endearments, he is emotionally cold, replying with curt, monosyllabic answers. As Mary desperately tries to connect with her husband, he becomes increasingly distant until he finally orders her, “Sit down” (23). The harsh imperative highlights his patriarchal, controlling attitude toward his wife.

Mr. Maloney’s job as a detective requires him to help uphold the justice system. However, his private conduct is shown to be morally questionable. Announcing that he is leaving his pregnant wife, his main concern is to avoid a “fuss” that could adversely affect his career (25). By preempting Mary’s probable emotional reaction to the news as “fuss,” Mr. Maloney belittles the feelings of the woman who has devoted her life to him. At no point does he acknowledge that he is also abandoning his unborn child.

When Patrick Maloney declares, “For God’s sake […] Don’t make supper for me. I’m going out” (26), they are his fatal last words. The callousness of this statement, combined with his refusal to turn round and look at her, prompts Mary to kill him. Thematically, his murder reverses the power dynamic between the couple. Instead of dominating Mary, Mr. Maloney becomes her helpless victim. Nevertheless, readers are disinclined to pity Mr. Maloney. His hard-hearted treatment of his wife creates the sense that moral justice has been served.

A friend and colleague of Patrick Maloney, Sergeant Noonan arrives at the scene of the murder with fellow police officer, O’Malley. He represents the stock character of the incompetent investigating policeman. He and O’Malley unintentionally create humor and dramatic irony through their inability to see the evidence that is literally “right under [their] very noses” (34).

Sergeant Noonan’s actions help to develop the theme of The Imbalance of Traditional Gender Roles. His failure to solve the case is largely the result of his misguided gender assumptions. From the beginning, the policeman makes the mistake of associating extreme violence with masculinity. Using the pronouns “him” and “he,” Noonan assumes that the murderer is a man. This belief is influenced by his theory that the weapon is a heavy instrument made of metal. Mary builds on these assumptions by conforming to Sergeant Noonan’s notion that femininity equates to weakness and fragility. When she falls “right into [his] arms, weeping hysterically” (29), Sergeant Noonan responds by clumsily trying to comfort Mary. His suspicions are not aroused as Mary’s behavior seems entirely appropriate for a newly widowed, pregnant woman. Treating Mary with kindly condescension, he naively allows her to remain at the crime scene while the police search for evidence.

Mary makes fools of Sergeant Noonan and his colleagues by suggesting they search the garage while the real murder weapon is baking in the oven. She then entices them to destroy the evidence by offering them the cooked lamb. Instead of solving the murder they are called to investigate, the police officers become Mary’s accomplices. In this way, the officers’ actions inform the theme of Loyalty and Betrayal.