Literature lamb to the slaughter

• Middelbare school

Today's objective 

Analysis of Lamb to the Slaughter & The Journey of the Magi

• Reminder so far (short story/plot/setting)
  
• Characters 
  
• Climax
  
• Conflict
  
• Narrative twist
  
• Theme
  
• Title

Short stories - reminder

Last time we talked about:

• Short story (3-5 p. up to 12-20 p./ few characters/simple plot/conflict/suspense/climax/swift conclusion)
  

• Short story (plot/setting/characters/theme)
  

• Plot : Introduction {setting/characters/narrative hook to grab reader's attention}- inciting incident - rising action - climax - falling action - resolution/narrative twist)
  

• Setting: time/place to create: 1) mood (author) and 2) atomosphere (reader)
  

Read Lamb to the Slaughter

Characters

1. What types of characters are there in a short story?
   
2. What are their roles in the plot?
   

Characters

• Protagonist - "good guy - person audience is rooting for", main character that solves conflict
  
• Antagonist - "bad buy - person audience wants to fail", creates conflict for the main character
  
• Secondary characters - move the plot along, may not be involved in conflict
  

Character traits

1. What the character him/herself does & says 
   
2. What the other characters say or do about the character
   
3. What the author states directly
   
4. What the author implies (suggests/not explicitly written)
   

Lamb to the Slaughter (=HW)

Answer in pairs. Use the short story in your booklet:

1. Describe the personalities of Mr. and Mrs. Maloney.
   
2. What is the inciting incident - what happens that sets off the story?
   
3. Who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist? Explain
   

 Lamb to the Slaughter

• Conflict (internal/external)
  

• Climax
  

Conflict - part of plot - rising action

Plot:

1. Introduction (setting/characters/narrative hook)
   
2. Inciting incident
   
3. Rising action (foreshadowing, flashback, conflict that antagonist creates for protagonist, suspense)
   
4. Climax
   
5. Falling action (character completes the action of decision)
   
6. Resolution (final workings of conflict & all loose ends tied up - could have a narrative twist = surpise ending)
   

Conflict - internal / external

Conflict: What prevents the main character from getting what he/she wants

1) External conflict: person vs others, person vs society, person vs fate, etc.

2) Internal conflict: person vs self

Climax - highest point of interest in plot

Highest point of interest in the story (usually highest emotion)

when the character solves his/her struggles.

Answer the following  (groups of 3)

1. What is the first conflict in Lamb to the Slaughter?
   
2. How does Mary solve this?
   
3. What is the climax of Lamb to the Slaughter?
   
4. What is the second conflict in Lamb to the Slaugher?
   
5. How does Mary solve this?
   
6. What are Mary's internal conflicts?
   
7. What are Mary's external conflicts (2)?
   
8. What is the resolution & narrative twist at the end of the story?
   

Answers 

1. What is the first conflict in Lamb to the Slaughter? Husband leaving her
   
2. How does Mary solve this? Kills him
   
3. What is the climax of Lamb to the Slaughter? Kills with leg of lamb
   
4. What is the second conflict in Lamb to the Slaugher? Hiding guilt from police
   
5. How does Mary solve this? Have them eat evidence
   
6. What are Mary's internal conflicts?  (sanity - after husband tells her he's leaving + after murder, how to disguise this
   
7. What are Mary's external conflicts (2)? Husband & police
   
8. What is the resolution & narrative twist at the end of the story? Police become "allies" and eat the evidence
   

Theme

• The central idea about life / Universal truth 

(e.g. love/oppression/sacrifice/marriage/betrayal)

Q. What is the theme in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

Theme

The central idea about life hightlighted in story:

• Betrayal
  
• Gender & Marriage (Patriarchal society)
  
• Role reversal
  

Title

Lamb to the slaughter = proverb

Q1. What does this proverb mean?

Q2. How does the title/proverb apply to Mrs. Maloney? And to Mr. Maloney?

Title

Lamb to the slaughter = proverb

Q1 -> To undergo sth. without a fight

Q2. -> 

• Mrs. Maloney doesn't undergo him leaving her without a fight, she kills her husband. 
  
• Literally: she becomes the slaughterer and uses the lamb to kill.
  
•  Mr. Maloney is the "lamb" that is slaughtered
  

The Gift of the Magi

• Read "The Gift of the Magi" & answer the following in pairs:

What can you say about:

1. Setting
2. Protagonist (Della & Jim) /Antagonist
3. Conflict (Della - first & second conflict)
4. Climax
5. Theme
6. Title

The Gift of the Magi

• Setting: Location = poor, drab flat (gray outside) Time= Christmas eve
  

• Protagonists: Della & Jim / Antagonist: the wrong way of valuing things / Secondary Character: hair salon madam

• Conflict Della: first  conflict = no money / second conflict = will Jim like short hair?

• Climax (highest point of emotion): Della openening Jim's gift (Jim sold his gold watch to buy her hair combs for long hair / Della had her hair cut off and sold it to buy Jim chain for his watch -> two useless gifts, but they put each other in first place)

• Theme: sacrifice (they give up their most valuable possessions for each other, their priority is the other person's happiness)

• Title: Like the three wise kings from the East who brought gifts to the infant Jesus, they are wise/ put each other first

What have you learned today?

Coming weeks

• Finish short stories (1 lesson)
  
• Practice grammar & vocabulary (in class & independent study!)
  

Bring booklets to all English classes!