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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Patrick’s “statement” to Mary is not detailed in the text, but is said to last now long at most?

2. What word from the short story means to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination?

3. What refers to the defense by an accused person of having been elsewhere at the time an alleged offense was committed?

4. Mary calls the police officer’s dear friends of whom in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

5. Who is working at the store when Mary arrives after killing Patrick?

Short Essay Questions

1. At what point in the story is Mary’s sense of identity shattered? What does she do to regain her sense of identity?

2. How does the author establish and develop tension through using sound in the beginning of the story?

3. What social and cultural elements influenced the Post-War period in Western literature?

4. Why does Mary giggle at the end of “Lamb to Slaughter”?

5. How is Mary’s transformation metaphorically depicted in her descent into the cellar?

6. How would you compare the style of “Lamb to the Slaughter” to other horror short stories?

7. How is the theme of passivity in “Lamb to the Slaughter” illustrated through Mary’s character?

8. What action does Patrick commit in “Lamb to Slaughter” to propel the action of the story forward?

9. Where does the rising action take place in the narrative? What happens in the rising action of the story?

10. How is the concept of identity as seen in popular psychology depicted through the character of Mary in the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the character of Patrick Maloney in the short story. What does Patrick look like? How is his appearance described from Mary’s point of view? How do Patrick’s actions display his personality?

Essay Topic 2

Irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”

a. Define dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. What are examples of each in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

b. Why do you think the author employs irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter”? What are the effects of the irony employed?

Essay Topic 3

The climax of the story could be said to be when Mary kills Patrick. What indications show that this might be the case? What indications show that the climax happens elsewhere in the story? What risks does Mary face by calling the police? How are her actions justified?

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