Mary Maloney Lamb To The Slaughter

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay

Written By: Hiba and Misha

The punishment for homicide against individuals with mental disorders and illnesses varies in different places; sometimes the case gets excused because they are incapable of thinking at the moment, or they are sent to jail or a rehab centre because they are not exempt from being criminally responsible. Mary Maloney killed her husband. This fact is clearly shown in the story "Lamb to the Slaughter." This also means that Mary Maloney is guilty of murder. Mary had never planned to kill her husband, but the piece of unknown information that her husband, Patrick, gave her prior to the murder was just a big trigger for rage, which does not exempt her from being responsible for her husband's

In this case, Mary didn't do it for herself; she was six months pregnant, and if she were caught, she would have to give birth while in custody. After Mary kills her husband, the story reads, "All right, she tells herself. So I’ve killed him" (Dahl, 3). There is clear proof from the quote that Mary Maloney killed her husband and has no remorse for doing so. Mary knew exactly what she did to him, which means she was completely sane while this scene took place. A big reason why she killed her husband was probably because the unknown news that he told her would affect their future child. Right after the whole incident happened, she took the evidence of the leg of lamb and began to cook it in the oven, so it didn't look like a relevant murder weapon but rather just another meal. This would mean that the police would not be able to find any evidence or possibilities if she murdered Patrick Maloney. She also lied to the police while dealing with Sam, the grocer, to make herself an alibi. She made sure to practice acting to fool Sam and have a witness in her favour, which then convinced the police officers that she had an alibi and that she was still devoted to and loved Patrick. She had this whole strategy prepared that would work to her advantage. Mary knew what she was doing when she was covering up this

She committed this murder for the safety and wellness of her baby, which does not exempt her from being criminally responsible for homicide. It is also proven that Mary Maloney wasn't insane, but she was angry. She also covered up her murder and showed no remorse or pity for her husband, who was seen as the most important person and male figure in her life. Patrick Maloney made a probable mistake but wanted to move forward with it. Mary didn't like the thought of that, so she sought instant revenge. But even if Mary was temporarily insane or mentally unstable, she shouldn't have the right to take someone's