Manipulation In 'Lamb To The Slaughter'

The foundation of the world has been changing to be very self-focused, and it is leading to mankind’s own destruction. One of the major ways people intentionally use persuasion against others is through manipulation, which is taking advantage of others, usually in a negative way. This way of thinking promotes unfair behavior in all sections of society and ultimately contributes to the downfall of humanity. The negative manipulation of others for self-use has been seen in Hamlet and ¨Lamb to the Slaughter¨ in a way that argues that people will, for one's gain, worsen individuals' situations. In Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet had many accounts of playing with the minds of others merely in search for answers to the plot of his father’s murder.

In the short story Mary is seen using calculated tactics on the detectives in order to find her way out of her problem, “ You must be very hungary by now because it’s long past your supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I let you stay in the house without offering you anything to eat. Why don’t you eat up the Lamb in the oven?” ( Dahl 4. 16-18 ). This is her playing into the emotions of the detectives in order to get the response she is looking for in order to cover up her mistakes. Others can most likely look around at the people they see or interact with every day that are manipulating them in ways they didn’t know. Others may argue that it isn’t intentional manipulation when their emotions come into play, but looking at the text it is evident that she was using that manipulation to further instill her plan. “Conscientiousness shows only one link with manipulative tactics

This is saying that using reason as a manipulation tactic is linked with being mindful of your decisions and tends to be used on spouses or friends. Mary used reason to manipulate her friend, the detective, by explaining to them why she wanted them to eat the lamb. The source shows that this is one of the best ways to persuade people you are close to. It provides that using the skill of manipulation is a good way to persuade others to do what you ask of them inconspicuously and that scientifically you can alter the thoughts of another person's mind in a way to get an outcome you