This week the theme is love. Not the fairytale love but more real world love. We just read a short story called "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roahl Dahl. In this twisted murder story a loving 1950s housewife carries the child of her husband but that's not all she is carrying. After her husband tells her he is leaving her she smacks him in the back of his head with a frozen leg of lamb. Strange? Yes but not for Roahl Dahl.
Was it wrong for the wife to kill her husband after she heard the news. Yes but let's look at her side. She does everything for this man; cleans the house, makes food, and loves him unconditionally. When she hears this news she just snaps. This lady has everything in control the house looks the way she wants it to and she does everything for her husband because she couldn't stand him doing anything by himself. Her whole future is planned out and he just comes in and ruins it, and she can't stand it. This is her house not his and when her husband says she would have to leave her house I believe that's when she went nuts.
Roahl Dahl keeps what the husband says to the wife a secret which is a very clever trick. It really makes us understand the story more. Ok back to the story. The wife can't stand him being on his own because he is her property and she has to know what he is doing. She feels this way because she loves her husband so dearly and if she can't take of him no one can. To her it is the same as him being dead if he is taking care of him by herself
The only thing that hints at what the husband says is "it wouldn't be good for my job". At first I was a little confused because what wouldn't be good for his job. He already has a wife so getting another wouldn't make any difference. Then I went back to beginning and saw that the wife is pregnant. So the husband means having a child wouldn't be the best for him. But I don't think he was thinking about himself he was thinking about his child and how hard it would be to spend time and raise his kid. I mean would if he got shot that would be so terrible for the child.
I believe that the use of symbolism in this short story is amazing. The lamb symbolizes innocence while slaughter means killing. In this story I believe that the lamb is the wife. She is so perfect and loves her husband o so dearly and could never imagine leaving him. Once he tells her this terrible news she can't be without him and bear him to be without her so she decides them without each other is the same as dying. Once she kills her husband she looses that innocence she had hence the title "lamb to the slaughter".
Was it wrong for the wife to kill her husband after she heard the news. Yes but let's look at her side. She does everything for this man; cleans the house, makes food, and loves him unconditionally. When she hears this news she just snaps. This lady has everything in control the house looks the way she wants it to and she does everything for her husband because she couldn't stand him doing anything by himself. Her whole future is planned out and he just comes in and ruins it, and she can't stand it. This is her house not his and when her husband says she would have to leave her house I believe that's when she went nuts.
Roahl Dahl keeps what the husband says to the wife a secret which is a very clever trick. It really makes us understand the story more. Ok back to the story. The wife can't stand him being on his own because he is her property and she has to know what he is doing. She feels this way because she loves her husband so dearly and if she can't take of him no one can. To her it is the same as him being dead if he is taking care of him by herself
The only thing that hints at what the husband says is "it wouldn't be good for my job". At first I was a little confused because what wouldn't be good for his job. He already has a wife so getting another wouldn't make any difference. Then I went back to beginning and saw that the wife is pregnant. So the husband means having a child wouldn't be the best for him. But I don't think he was thinking about himself he was thinking about his child and how hard it would be to spend time and raise his kid. I mean would if he got shot that would be so terrible for the child.
I believe that the use of symbolism in this short story is amazing. The lamb symbolizes innocence while slaughter means killing. In this story I believe that the lamb is the wife. She is so perfect and loves her husband o so dearly and could never imagine leaving him. Once he tells her this terrible news she can't be without him and bear him to be without her so she decides them without each other is the same as dying. Once she kills her husband she looses that innocence she had hence the title "lamb to the slaughter".