Group 2 presents
[ An application application of Feminist Literary Criticism Theory ]
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Mary Maloney, a devoted seemingly obsessed and pregnant housewife, expects her husband Patrick to return home from his job as a local police detective. When he returns, Mary notices that he is strangely aloof and assumes that he was tire d from work. Patrick finally reveals to Mary what is making him act st rangely. The writer did not reveal what is discussed, but it is presumed by many that Patrick tells Mary that he was going to leave her for another woman. Seemingly in a trance, Mary fetches a large leg of lamb from the deep-freezer in the cellar to cook for their dinner. Patrick angrily tells Mary not to make him any dinner, as he is going out. She strikes Patrick in the back of the head with the frozen lamb leg, killing him. Mary realizes that she has killed Patrick and has to create a story to tell the detectives. She prepares the leg of lamb that she has killed her husband with and places it in the oven to somewhat destroy the evidence. After practicing a cheerful routine, she visits the grocer to establish an alibi. Upon returning, she enters the room with her dead husband lying on the floor and calls the police. When the police (who are all frie nds of her husband) arrive, they ask Mary questions and look at the scene. Considering Mary above suspicion the police conclude that Patrick was killed with a large blunt object, likely made of metal. After a fruitless search around the house and surrounding area, Mary is reminded the leg is cooking, and offers it to the policemen, w hich after hesitating they accept. During the meal they discuss the murder w eapon's possible location. One officer says it is "Probably right under our ver y noses". Mary overhears the last line and begins to giggle.
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A type of literary criticism that c ritiques how females are commonly represented in texts, and how insufficient these representations are as a categorizing dev ice. They focus on how femininity is represented as being passive and emotional – the “caregiver,” and the male is associated with reason and action – the “doer.” As an addition to the feminist movement in politics, the feminist cr itique of literature seeks to raise the consciousness about the importance and unique nature of women in literature, and to point out how language has been used to marginalize women. Specifically, the feminist view attempts to: 1.
Show that writers of traditional literature have ignored women and have presented misguided and prejudiced views of them
2.
Create a critical landscape that re flects a balanced view of the nature and value of women
3.
Expand the literary canon by recovering works of women of the past and publication of contemporary female writers
4.
Urge transformation in the language to eliminate inequities and inequalities that result from linguistic distortions such as mankind (rather than humanity ).
‘Lamb to Slaughter’ is written in a manner which deteriorates the values of women. “Mary Maloney is a housewife, who is six months pregnant. She loves her husband very much. She sets down her sewing … took his coat and hung it in the closet” It says two things. One that women stay at home and sew all day, which is a ste reotype, and two, that she is there to serve. She is always trying to be comforting to Patrick. For example, upon reaching Patrick who has just come back form works, she asks to prepare food for him which he refused repeatedly. This shows how a woman is portrayed to carry t he woman roles, socially as a housewife. Mary Maloney is a victim of Patrick’s disrespect and verbal abuse. “For God’s Sake” and “Sit Down” were some of the disrespectful things and commands yelled at her.
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The author wrote this in a way in which Patrick orders her to do things when she is being polite and courteous to him. Patrick has obviously shows the quality of patriarchy were man overpowers woman. He has little respect for her and snaps at her when she offers him food and drinks. This leads her to kill him because she couldn’t take it anymore. He just overwhelmed her. After she kills him and the investigators come, they were, “exceptionally nice to her” automatically rendering her and unlikely suspect because she is a woman. She, in the minds of the investigators, is to frail or weak to do such a thing and pretty much innocent, to be the murderer. They give her special treatment because she is a woman and don’t investigate her as much as they would if she was a man.
This story, “Lamb to the Slaughter”, singles out Mary Malooney, regarded as a servant, inferior , innocent and weak, was disrespectfully treated and spoken to by her husband, and was assumed that wasn’t unable to commit a crime while being given special treatment by the investigators because she is a WOMAN
