Lamb To The Slaughter Mary Maloney Essay

What’s the best way to get away with a murder? The character Ms. Maloney discovered that in the short story “Lamb to the Slaughter”. Mary Maloney’s behavior changes throughout the story, from being a stereotypicial stay at home wife to a cold hearted women. This is why Ms. Maloney is considered a dynamic character. Mary Maloney was a perfect and devoted house wife. She would wait happily each night for the arrival of her husband Patrick from work at the police station. “ She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by made it nearer the time he would come home” (Dahl 1). She very dearly loved her husband and her husband’s company. “This was always a wonderful time of the day… she was satifised enjoying his …show more content…
Maloney’s thoughts after her husband told her about the divorce. Although this isn’t directly stated in the story, it is inferred with Mary’s thoughts and actions. “...I know it’s a tough time to be telling you this, but there simply wasn’t any other way” (Dahl 2). “... Her first instinct was not to believe anything” (Dahl 2), this clearly shows that Ms.Maloney is in disbelief because her beloved husband wanted a divorce. After she got those tragic news to her heart everything changed. “When she walked across the room, she couldn’t feel her feet touching the floor. She couldn’t feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking” (Dahl 2). Ms. Maloney was clearly hurt, and like that in a flash she went from being a good loving wife to a cold hearted person. “ She went down stairs to the freezer and took a hold of the first object she found--- a leg of lamb... at that point, Mary walked up behind him and without any pause, she swung the big frozen leg of lamb in the air and brought it back as hard as she could on the back of his head” (Dahl 2). This is when Mary changed completly because she didn’t even think for one second about her love for her husband before she killed