The setting and characters help show the theme of the story that appearances can be deceiving, people should be more careful with who they trust and that things are not always what they seem. What people let off is not always what they hold inside or there is usually something hidden deep beneath the surface. First, the setting in The Landlady is a Bed & Breakfast, it portrays itself as a very cozy place and makes you feel safe. Although deep inside, under layers is where you wouldn’t normally look holds secrets. The main character watched the Bed and Breakfast that:
Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay and not walk away from that house, and the next thing …show more content…
The lady is the character that mainly proves that people are not all what they seem. She may seem sweet and motherly, but on the inside she is cunning, calculating, and sinister. Billy felt that since the lady had a familiar face (his friends mom), he felt safe and comfortable, but little did he know that she could be dangerous. She sounds too perfect when she said ‘’But come over here, and sit down beside me on the sofa and I’ll give you a nice cup of tea and a ginger biscuit before you go to bed’’(Dahl 2). In this quote she sounds so sweet and caring, like she would not even hurt a single fly, she sounds absolutely harmless and that is what made it so perfect. The landlady put on a smile and acted as if nothing has ever gone wrong, she lured the boy into her home so easily. A naive person is a perfect victim for a dishonest one. Dahl wanted the reader to notice these things and so it all can build up on that one character to support the setting theme and suspense. Next is the way the landlady deluded Billy. The fact that she stuffed her dead pets just adds to her personality that is trying to be proven. She gave the young chap an offer he could not refuse, five and sixpence a night is pretty cheap for one like him. From her past experiences and opinion she
Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay and not walk away from that house, and the next thing …show more content…
The lady is the character that mainly proves that people are not all what they seem. She may seem sweet and motherly, but on the inside she is cunning, calculating, and sinister. Billy felt that since the lady had a familiar face (his friends mom), he felt safe and comfortable, but little did he know that she could be dangerous. She sounds too perfect when she said ‘’But come over here, and sit down beside me on the sofa and I’ll give you a nice cup of tea and a ginger biscuit before you go to bed’’(Dahl 2). In this quote she sounds so sweet and caring, like she would not even hurt a single fly, she sounds absolutely harmless and that is what made it so perfect. The landlady put on a smile and acted as if nothing has ever gone wrong, she lured the boy into her home so easily. A naive person is a perfect victim for a dishonest one. Dahl wanted the reader to notice these things and so it all can build up on that one character to support the setting theme and suspense. Next is the way the landlady deluded Billy. The fact that she stuffed her dead pets just adds to her personality that is trying to be proven. She gave the young chap an offer he could not refuse, five and sixpence a night is pretty cheap for one like him. From her past experiences and opinion she