The Stories of Murder in The Landlady and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
“The Landlady” and “Lamb to the Slaughter”, both by Roald Dahl had twisty tales of
murder. In “The Landlady”, the main female character kills the only three guests she has ever had in her Bed and Breakfast. In “Lamb to the Slaughter” the main female character kills her husband. They both have crazy stories of murder. Mary Maloney kills her own husband with a cold piece of deli while the landlady kills her three guest by poison. They both are cold blooded killers and would do anything to get their way. “The Landlady” and “Lamb to the Slaughter” both have cold blooded killers who find joy in the murders they commit and have other issues in their lives that lead them to killing their victims.
The landlady’s victim was Billy Weaver, he was a normal adult that was headed for The Bell and Dragon Hotel, she was unfamiliar with Billy, she had never met him. He knocked on the door and the landlady came immediately, was that not a sign that she was anticipating his arrival. Mary M……. knew her victim and he was going to divorce her while she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. The landlady’s son died fighting for the country, every guest that reminds her of her son, she kills. No guest can recommend or even return to the the Bed and Breakfast, there have only been three guests and the landlady has murdered them all. Unlike the landlady, this was Mary Maloney’s first victim, her murder was unintentional while the landlady’s were.
Mary Maloney killed her husband with a leg of lamb. She was so mad at him she swiped him in the head and she knocked the living daylights right out of him. On the other hand the landlady gets to know her victims then she poisons their tea and stuffs the body, them so she can make them resemble her son when ever she feels necessary. Both the landlady and Mary…… were anticipating the arrival of their victims. Mary Maloney was not planning on murdering her husband, she was going to go out to dinner with him as their usual Thursday night plans were. After he told her that he would divorce her news she went out to the market and got the murder
weapon. Then she clocked him on the head with the cold piece of meat and did not shed one
tear. The landlady should feel happy that she now has three candidates to be her son she can laugh and play as freely as she chooses. While, Mary Maloney only cried when the tears counted, in front of the police.
“The Landlady” and “Lamb to the Slaughter”, Dahl were both interesting stories with dark and scary murder. The landlady and Mary Maloney were crazy women who end up killing the male lead. Billy Weaver’s tea was poisoned and he “drank up.” Mr. Maloney was swiped with a piece of cold deli meat in the head. This was the landlady’s third murder she has committed. However this was Mary’s first murder, she had only cried when it counted. The characters are not one in the same. Both murderers are masterminds, the landlady tells Billy to “drink up” he drinks the poison and dies. Mary Maloney serves the murder weapon to the police so that no evidence can be found on her. The murderers are different, yet, their stories come together as snug as a puzzle piece.
