Roald Dahl has published several novels and nearly 50 short stories all of which, without exemption, are fascinating, intriguing and bizarre to say the least. One of Dahl’s more famous stories is “Lamb to the Slaughter”.
             This is a twisted, gripping tale of Mary Maloney, who murders her own husband by hitting him with a frozen leg of lamb and then hiding her crime and disposing of the evidence by feeding the lamb to the policemen who come to investigate the murder.
             This clever story is crafted down to the smallest detail - every word and expression implies something, often has a second meaning and so manipulates the reader’s opinion. The factor that makes this story even more interesting, is that it is written from the murderer’s point of view, while the opinion of the author is still evident.
             Roald Dahl effectively developed the protagonist both directly and indirectly; however
             the use of indirect characterisation is more dominant because it reveals and explains Mary Malloney’s actions. In the beginning of the story, Mary Malloney appears to be an ordinary house-wife, awaiting her husband’s return, but already Dahl starts creating the enigmatic atmosphere of the story by describing Mary as “curiously tranquil”.
             The choice of adjective “curiously” implies that Mary Malloney is not usually as calm as she is today. Dahl also mentions that Mrs Malloney’s “eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker, than before. All these things aren't characteristic of her and Dahl’s uses the word “new” to make the reader realise this and makes the reader expect other unusual things to happen.
             The serene atmosphere set in the first paragraphs is creased when Mr Malloney walkes through the front door and is greeted by his wife: “ ‘Hullo darling,’ she said ‘ Hul...