Can a lamb be a murder?
On Roald Dahl's "The leg of the lamb"
Can a lamb be a murder? This is one of the question which arouse in me as I read Roald Dahl's short story "The leg of lamb." We have learnt to imagine lambs as harmless animals. They are the symbol of innocence. We do like to have them near. The are there to be loved and we enjoy their presence.
In fact we incline to imagine Mary Maloney in this short-story to have such a character. Her attitude to her husband, her patience and warm presence, and perfection in being a loving wife, has won our sympathy. We stand voluntarily on her side against the man, who is more a traitor than only a bad husband. How dare he extinguish her love!
But then after we have taken her side Roald Dahl lets us know that a lamb can hurt, yes can commit a murder. First we can probably understand the panic of Mary, the fact that she lost her temper, because of the shock she must overcome now (Who can cope with the fact of being left by somebody whom we love?). But then as we realize her perfection in being a murder Roald Dahl ruins our belief in the innocence of the lamb. In fact she had offered Patrick, her husband, the leg of a lamb: which can hurt, yes which can murder. The whole appearance of the lamb can seem innocent, but its leg does not. We are terrified by her peculiar smile "in front of the mirror". We are horrified of her "Do everything right and natural." We are terrorized by her "little tune song." Just because a lamb has a leg, and the leg can murder.
(This essay was written in Oxford, UK, in June 1997)
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| Road Dahl (Photo: guardian.co.uk) |
In fact we incline to imagine Mary Maloney in this short-story to have such a character. Her attitude to her husband, her patience and warm presence, and perfection in being a loving wife, has won our sympathy. We stand voluntarily on her side against the man, who is more a traitor than only a bad husband. How dare he extinguish her love!
But then after we have taken her side Roald Dahl lets us know that a lamb can hurt, yes can commit a murder. First we can probably understand the panic of Mary, the fact that she lost her temper, because of the shock she must overcome now (Who can cope with the fact of being left by somebody whom we love?). But then as we realize her perfection in being a murder Roald Dahl ruins our belief in the innocence of the lamb. In fact she had offered Patrick, her husband, the leg of a lamb: which can hurt, yes which can murder. The whole appearance of the lamb can seem innocent, but its leg does not. We are terrified by her peculiar smile "in front of the mirror". We are horrified of her "Do everything right and natural." We are terrorized by her "little tune song." Just because a lamb has a leg, and the leg can murder.
(This essay was written in Oxford, UK, in June 1997)