“Lamb to Slaughter”, a story written by Roald Dahl, and its filmic version, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, illustrate the same story, but have some major differences, which are mainly in their purposes. While the book was written for the purpose of making readers think deeply about the irony of the story, the film was made simply to thoroughly entertain its audience. One of the reasons for the two stories differences is the initial characterization of Mrs. Maloney, the main character, and the delivery of her husband’s bad news. In the book, Mrs. Maloney is characterized by her thoughts as being an intelligent woman who loves her husband very much. When her husband starts talking to her about leaving, he sits her down, and braces her for bad
…show more content…
Maloney's killing, is another big element which distinguishes between the book and film. In the original book, it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Maloney will not be recognized as the murder, and it is almost amusing when the police accept her offer to eat the leg of lamb which was the weapon. The author builds minimal suspense.
And yet, in the movie, the audience feels great suspense. It is not clear to the audience whether or not Mrs. Maloney will be caught, as the police officers begin to suspect her after investigating the scene. It comes as a relief and somewhat of an alarming ending when the officers eat the leg.
Again, there is much more suspense in the movie than in the book, showing how the book was about the story, and the movie was about the entertainment.
Finally, the overall tone and mood of both pieces show us how different their purposes are. The tone of the book is eerily matter-of-fact, not giving much emotion. Mrs. Maloney acts without much emotion, and the story seems to move exceptionally quickly. Whereas in the film, characters show much more emotion, dramatizing the whole story much more than the book does. The contrasting atmospheres in each piece show, again, how the book’s purpose is to tell the story, and the movie’s is to entertain its
Maloney's killing, is another big element which distinguishes between the book and film. In the original book, it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Maloney will not be recognized as the murder, and it is almost amusing when the police accept her offer to eat the leg of lamb which was the weapon. The author builds minimal suspense.
And yet, in the movie, the audience feels great suspense. It is not clear to the audience whether or not Mrs. Maloney will be caught, as the police officers begin to suspect her after investigating the scene. It comes as a relief and somewhat of an alarming ending when the officers eat the leg.
Again, there is much more suspense in the movie than in the book, showing how the book was about the story, and the movie was about the entertainment.
Finally, the overall tone and mood of both pieces show us how different their purposes are. The tone of the book is eerily matter-of-fact, not giving much emotion. Mrs. Maloney acts without much emotion, and the story seems to move exceptionally quickly. Whereas in the film, characters show much more emotion, dramatizing the whole story much more than the book does. The contrasting atmospheres in each piece show, again, how the book’s purpose is to tell the story, and the movie’s is to entertain its