The narrow hallway was barely illuminated by several bulbs hung down from the ceiling, which shaded

the walls in a hue of

whitish-grey. There were no decorations- no paintings, no photos, no plants. Nothing but a flimsy wooden door stood at the end
of the hallway. The rusty handle shimmered under the dim light, as if it was the key to unlock the world of mystery behind. The
offensive odour of newly painted walls failed to hide the scent of rosewater lingering in the stuffy warm air.
Mary Maloney stood motionless outside of her husbands office. A familiar voice leaked beneath the door and echoed in the hallway.
Of course I will take care of you, my darling. You know how much I love you, he said. It had been years since she had heard her
husband speak in such a tender tone.
But how bout your wife? Shes having your baby, Mr. Maloney. A husky voice spoke up. She recognised the voice immediately. It was
Mrs. Anderson, the widow who had moved to this town recently. They had had a conversation at the market this morning.
Ill divorce her, I promise. In fact, Ill talk to her tonight, he said. She remembered his sincere vow before the priest five years ago.
Mary Maloney turned and walked out of the police station dazedly. She felt numb- in fact, the only thing keeping her from collapsing was the
weight of the filled grocery bag in her arms. This wasnt real. She tried to convince herself that she had hallucinated the scene. Perhaps if she went
home for a nap and woke up, her life would be back to normal. Yet a voice at the back of her mind screamed the harsh truth. The stench of
rosewater on his shirts, the lipstick in his pocket, the bracelet in his drawer- the puzzle pieces clicked together to form the undeniable truth. Her
walk back home progressed into a sprint. She ran home and slammed the door shut, as if she was fleeing from a hideous monster.
The familiarity of the house helped her recover from the shock. The wallpaper was a soft shade of salmon, adorned with intricate patterns
of pearl white daisies. The faint glow from the table lamp seemed to be lending her warmth and strength. The lavender curtains fluttered from the
gentle autumn breeze, which wafted in the sweet scent of roses. She breathed to the rhythm of the ticking clock, until the rapid beating of her heart
slowed down. She dragged herself to the velvet chair across the clock. The thought of divorce emerged in her mind. It would be a relief to leave,
free from the constant reminder of his infidelity.
Yet a kick in her stomach woke her nature as a mother. What about the child? As the wife of a detective, she had seen numerous cases of
divorce where the childs custody was granted to the unfaithful father. How can she bear being separated from her own child? How could she let her
child grow up in such a deceitful family?
Mary Maloney smashed the bottle of fragrance she bought from the market onto the floor. The overwhelming fume buried the smell of
roses.
She walked across the hall into the bathroom to wash her face. She wiped her face dry, tied her hair up, and stood before the mirror. A pale
woman with large dark eyes gazed back at her. Her soft lips tautened, and several strands of hair clung to her forehead. She attempted to smile. The
reflection twitched into a strangely stiff expression. She retried a number of times, until her expression was finally natural.
She returned to the velvet chair and took out her sewing kit. She glanced up at the clock every now and then in between her sewing, and
waited for her husband to return. As the clock struck ten-to-five, the familiar sounds reached her ears punctually- tires screeching, car door
slamming, and footsteps stomping. She stood up wearing a warm smile to greet him.
Welcome back, darling, she said as she went to remove his coat.
He ignored her and strode to sideboard, where he poured himself a shot of whiskey, and swallowed it in a gulp. Then he turned to Mary and
opened his mouth awkwardly, Mary, I need to tell you something. I
Oh darling, I bet youre exhausted. You need to relax. Go out with your friends! Oh, I bet youll get along with our new neighbour! Shes a
real sweetheart. She interrupted, Mrs. Anderson lives just down the street. Poor girl, I heard that she has been married to three different men, and
each time her husband died within the first year of marriage. Luckily they left with more than enough of money for her to take care of herself.
He fell silent at the mention of Mrs. Anderson. The ticking of the clock echoed through the room.
Speaking of which, darling, theres no need to get me any birthday presents. I simply have too many fragrances to count! Gosh, I can smell
the rosewater on you from miles away. I dont mean to say I dont appreciate the bracelet and lipstick though. Dont hide them in your pocket and
drawer, I can see them easily, she said. She stood behind his chair, placed her hands on his shoulders, and massaged his muscles. The ticking of the
clock filled the deafening silence.
Darling, you need to relax, the baby and I cant live without you, she said. He turned around and looked into her eyes. Expecting anger,
frustration and sadness, he found nothing but love, care and affection in those placid eyes.
You ruined the surprise, darling. He finally spoke in a wavering voice after a long uncomfortable silence. His face paled and sweat pooled
in his clenched fist. Ill go upstairs for a nap.
Mary Maloney smiled wolfishly as she stepped into the kitchen to prepare for supper.
Rationale:
My pastiche is based on The Lamb to the Slaughter, and describes the alternative story of Mary Maloney recognising her husbands infidelity before he
requests for a divorce. By delivering an articulate speech, she successfully stopped him from divorcing her. I have chosen the same protagonist as the
original story, Mary Maloney, to establish an identical perspective in the portrayal of events. Her innocent appearance contrasts with her complex scheme,
which subverts the female gender stereotype of ignorance. In the story Patrick is being manipulated by two women- Mary Maloney and Mrs. Anderson.
This suggests the vulnerability of men and communicates the theme of female empowerment.
I have applied numerous methods of characterisation to demonstrate Marys self-possessed, motherly and manipulative characteristic. The
warm environment of the house with lavender curtains and salmon wallpaper reflects her family-orientated character through characterisation by
setting. In addition, her composure is characterised indirecting by her rehearsals before the mirror until her expression was finally natural. It
demonstrates her ability to suppress her frustration, and act normal in front of Patrick. Thus, Patricks reaction of being defeated character after her
speech emphasise her manipulative character through speech, and reaction of other characters. Marys manipulation of language stopped Patrick
from divorcing her suggests female dominance.
I imitated Roald Dahls writing style through applying various literary devices. The motif of the ticking clock delivers the tension, and imply
the critical status of the relationship. In addition, irony is repeatedly used in Marys speech. She describes the objects she found in the drawer as
birthday presents for her, when they are gifts for Mrs. Anderson. Double entendre is applied in Patricks response her ruining the surprise. The
surprise can be referred to both the birthday presents and the news of divorce.

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER