Roald Dahl’s realistic fiction story, “The Landlady,” takes place at a bed and breakfast in a small quiet town. After looking for a place to stay, seventeen year old Billy Weaver arrives at the bed and breakfast. Its big bright sign lures Billy to enter the house. The light turns on immediately and Billy walks to the bed and breakfast. The door swings open and without hesitation, Billy enters the Landlady’s home. Unaware of the Landlady’s actions, it gets him into trouble at the end of the story. By using foreshadowing and dialogue, Roald Dahl forms the lesson that being aware of people’s actions and the surroundings is essential in all situations. Throughout the story, awareness is key component the main character lacks. For example,
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The Landlady says to Billy, “I’m so glad you appeared.” She looks earnestly at his face and says, “I was beginning to get worried.” Billy replies beaming and says, “That’s all right” (3). This is significant because through dialogue, the author shows that Billy is unaware of how the Landlady is concerned about him. The Landlady is glad that he appeared and she is seriously worried about him. From dialogue, the writer wants readers to see that Billy thinks that the Landlady is fearful for him like a mother is for her child, but she is actually treating him like a doll and is happy to see him. The main character doesn’t think of the Landlady as harmful and is therefore, unaware of what could happen. Dahl’s writing not only shows the main character's lack of awareness through the craft of dialogue, but also through irony. Curious about the previous people who stayed with the landlady, Billy begins to asks questions about them. She tells him not to worry and asks him his age. “Seventeen!” she cries. “Oh, it’s the perfect age!” The Landlady goes on to say, “You have the most beautiful teeth, Mr. Weaver, did you know that?” Billy answers back to her and says, “They’re not as good as they look” (3). These quotes from “The Landlady” are significant because the landlady doesn’t just think that Billy has good-looking teeth, she also thinks he is perfect to stuff. Unsuspecting, Billy does not imagine the landlady’s complement as a wicked thought. Billy thinks he is a husky stud, which shows him unaware of what the landlady is really
The Landlady says to Billy, “I’m so glad you appeared.” She looks earnestly at his face and says, “I was beginning to get worried.” Billy replies beaming and says, “That’s all right” (3). This is significant because through dialogue, the author shows that Billy is unaware of how the Landlady is concerned about him. The Landlady is glad that he appeared and she is seriously worried about him. From dialogue, the writer wants readers to see that Billy thinks that the Landlady is fearful for him like a mother is for her child, but she is actually treating him like a doll and is happy to see him. The main character doesn’t think of the Landlady as harmful and is therefore, unaware of what could happen. Dahl’s writing not only shows the main character's lack of awareness through the craft of dialogue, but also through irony. Curious about the previous people who stayed with the landlady, Billy begins to asks questions about them. She tells him not to worry and asks him his age. “Seventeen!” she cries. “Oh, it’s the perfect age!” The Landlady goes on to say, “You have the most beautiful teeth, Mr. Weaver, did you know that?” Billy answers back to her and says, “They’re not as good as they look” (3). These quotes from “The Landlady” are significant because the landlady doesn’t just think that Billy has good-looking teeth, she also thinks he is perfect to stuff. Unsuspecting, Billy does not imagine the landlady’s complement as a wicked thought. Billy thinks he is a husky stud, which shows him unaware of what the landlady is really