Lamb To The Slaughter Mary Maloney

Compared to Roald Dahl’s original Mary Maloney from his 1953 short story “Lamb to the Slaughter,” the Mary portrayed in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 teleplay of the same name is less manipulative than Dahl’s Mary as to how she hid and decided to tell the story of how it happened. First, Mary in Dahl’s version rehearsed how she was going to act, speak, and use her facial expressions before leaving the house and going out in public to the grocery. Evidence of this is, “She tried to smile. It came out rather peculiar. She tried again. ‘Hullo Sam,’ she said brightly outloud. The voice sounded peculiar too. ‘I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas.’ That was better. Both the smile and the voice were coming out better now. She rehearsed …show more content…
"Please eat it. Personally I couldn't touch a thing, certainly not what's been in the house when he was here. But it's all right for you. It'd be a favor to me if you'd eat it up. Then you can go on with your work again afterwards.’" "’Sure I'll give you a drink. You mean this whiskey?’ ‘Yes please. But just a small one. It might make me feel better.’ He handed her the glass. ‘Why don't you have one yourself,’ she said. ‘You must be awfully tired. Please do. You've been very good to me.’" Mary getting the officers drunk let their guards down more so she was able to change the crime scene and get rid of the weapon to where she would never be caught. In conclusion, Mary in the original “Lamb to the Slaughter” did an unplanned murder but then calmly created a plan off the top of her head. She rehearsed her lines and emotions that will be portrayed making the grocer believe she is innocent. Then she got the officers examining the crime scene and fed them the weapon which completes her image of innocence she created around her. The movie Mary on the other hand let her nerves take over her and broke the image of innocence of innocence that she was trying to