Roald Dahl's Literary Analysis

Every author writes with a purpose. Roald Dahl does not divert from this decree, displaying his message to all his readers, children and adults alike. Every story he writes presents new levels and adaptations of symbolism through his literature. Just like many of the great and notable authors of his time, Dahl’s novels and short stories have a deeper meaning if analyzed closely. Through the use of a strong desire for justice, Roald Dahl reflects his social views and beliefs to a wide range of audiences. Roald Dahl was born in Wales to a large family of five children. Despite his father dying very young, he enjoyed his childhood and home life as the middle child with four sisters. He did not enjoy school in the slightest, and when offered a university level education, he declined (Carrick). After finishing his time in school, Dahl …show more content…
The short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” solidifies and strengthens this notion, with every action having its equal opposite reaction. Mary’s entire life revolved around around her husband Patrick, a tired officer with a drinking habit(Dahl). She looked through his flaws and loved everything about him, so when he decided to leave her life, Patrick essentially took her life away(Lamb). Mary judicially strikes back quite literally, battering her ex-love’s skull with a frozen lamb and similarly taking his life away(Dahl). The theme of justice and betrayal both counter and build upon each other throughout the short story. When Patrick betrays Mary, she exacts justice through murder, which can only be described as the ultimate betrayal(Lamb). This story exemplifies his use of ironic humor and wit to make his ideas of revenge and justice appealing to readers, essentially teaching an audience in a clever way(Lee). In the end, justice proves successful when the police inspectors eat the murder weapon, stating, “‘It's probably right under our