Davis Lee

Mrs. House

8/23/07

Tricky Ways

            Do you ever wonder what that sweet, old lady across the street really acts like?  Well Mrs. Maloney, in Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” is that lady.  She loves her husband and wants him happy with her; although, he does not feel the same about her, so he wants a divorce.  Her husband tells her the bad news of him wanting a divorce from her, and she changes from that harmless, old lady, to something completely different.  She completely changes, at least seems to, and she turns from being that precious little lamb who could not hurt a thing, to a vicious wolf wanting revenge.  Through an allusion using Mrs. Maloney, Dahl shows just how true it is that some people are just a wolf in sheep’s garments.

            Compared to our current society where women are treated equally with men; instead, the women of Mrs. Maloney’s society still “[luxuriate] in the presence of her man” and try to basically serve his every need (Dahl 380).  Women in their society are considered to be harmless, perfect little lambs and be there for their husband’s every need.  She is that person.  In fact, her loyalty to him even “goes to fetch” his slippers like a dog fetches a bone (Dahl 380).  In a comparison to our society where women are not treated as servants or thought of as being harmless; instead, they are highly respected human beings and an equal part in our collective society.

            Because of her husband, Patrick, changing the situation and telling her they need a divorce, she changes.  She changes from no longer acting as what society wants her to be; furthermore, she turns to something that he tells her not to be.  Telling her not to make “any fuss”; therefore, sets Patrick’s life into a fuss (Dahl 381).  She backfires; she “[kills] him” (Dahl 382).  Suddenly, that good, little lamb has turns into a wolf.  The harmless, old lady transforms into a fugitive trying to figure out how to escape the fact that she has just committed a murder.  Showing her cunning abilities, she covers up her crime by making an alibi.

            The allusions in this story are not actually in the words, but they are in the meaning.  Is she really a lamb or not?  Every one sure thinks she is. When her husband dies, no one thinks she did it.  She is too in love with him; too innocent, they think.  The truth is she becomes a wolf in sheep’s clothing, which is a Biblical allusion to “…sheep among wolves…” meaning to warn people to beware of what they believe and not to take anything for granted just because someone may seem innocent (Matthew 10:16 New International Version).  In this story, Mrs. Maloney becomes the wolf.  Everyone sees her as innocent, but she is not.  It is ironic in a way because the real sheep in this story is Patrick Maloney, her husband.  Furthermore, the allusion in this instance is that he is the one who gets slaughtered; therefore, the wolf tricks him.  This allusion is not Biblical, but literary.  She is a “Wolf in the Sheep’s clothing…” as she tricks the police and community into thinking she did not really commit the crime (Aesop, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing).  She not only tricks them out of the crime, but the person she murders the real lamb.  She slaughters him, her husband.

            Therefore, through Biblical and literary allusions, Dahl shows Mrs. Maloney as a wolf who truly should not be trusted; although, everyone in town just thinks she of her as some harmless, little, old lamb.  She is the perfect example of a lamb; she changes to a wolf because of her situation changing, and she shows through allusions that people can really be surprise you and trick you whether or not you may know them.  She is not that nice, old lady across the street anymore; are you that sure of your neighbor?