Model+paragraphs

toc Check out the examples of great analytical paragraphs below; use them to help in your revision and preparation for the end of unit assessment.

=**Characters**= In __Lamb to the Slaughter __ the characters have a significant effect on the story. There are many flat characters, which has the effect of making the reader focus on the only round character. Examples of the flat characters include Patrick Maloney, Jack Noonan and Sam the grocer. Mary Maloney is the sole round character, so to us, she appears more real. Even though she doesn’t tell us anything about herself, we know a lot about her through Roald Dahl’s indirect characterization. Since it lets you figure out her characteristics in greater depth, indirect characterization is more effective. For example, the thorough way she prepares to go to the grocer tells us that she is a very specific and careful person. “She sat down before the mirror, tidied her hair, touched her up her lips and face.” Patrick Maloney is an example of direct characterization. Mary’s descriptions of his psychological attributes, “He didn’t want to speak much until the first drink was finished” shows us that he controls what happens in the house, making him seem superior. Mary is a dynamic character, because she goes from an old-fashioned stay-home wife, to a wronged killer, to an actor. Overall the different characterizations used in the story help us focus more on the protagonist, Mary Maloney. //By Kim & Theresia D block//


 * Note from Ms K:** //I really like this paragraph because it is organised clearly into a sequence of points, and they are all supported by evidence - either direct quotations or examples. One way Kim and Theresia could have added more depth would be by adding a more specific comment on the effects of Mary's changes to their concluding sentence, for example: "Mary's changes and contradictions may link to the one of the themes of the story. Perhaps Dahl is trying to show us that people are rarely what they seem."//

=2. Suspense=

In the story  __Lamb to the Slaughter __, Roald Dahl creates suspense through foreshadowing and the delaying of events. First, Dahl uses foreshadowing in the title : “__Lamb to the Slaughter__”. From this we can guess that the story is about a murder. Foreshadowing also creates suspense when he implies that this evening is going to be different than the others, “When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quality of whiskey in it.” The fact that Patrick is drinking more than usual suggests that he is very anxious about something. In addition, Dahl avoids telling the audience some key facts, such as what Patrick had said to Mary so angering that brought her to the murder, or what had happened at the end when he simply wrote: “And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.” These delays create suspense by holding back information about the resolution of the story. Mary Maloney seems like a peaceful and typical wife who loves her husband very much, and it was almost impossible for the readers to guess that she was going to kill her husband. The way Dahl creates suspense through foreshadowing and the delaying of events makes the story more exciting and interesting to read. //By Wani and Philip, block D.//

Note from Ms K: //Again, a great paragraph with good support for ideas. See if you can identify the points, evidence, and explanation - these students have really used the PEE structure well.//

=3. Irony and symbols= The story is has many ironic and symbolic __things__. One of the symbols in the story is the lamb leg, and something ironic that happens in the story is that the detectives are looking for the murder weapon, but they end up eating it. The lamb leg is a vital symbol in the story. It symbolizes Mary herself. The lamb is a gentle creature which usually symbolises innocence - Jesus is often called the lamb of God. But it this case it is deadly, just like Mary. In the story, Mary starts out as a very gentle, kind housewife. But by the end of the story, she is corrupt and deadly. __Also__, the fact that the detectives end up eating the weapon is very ironic. It is a good example of dramatic irony, where the readers know that Mary had actually killed her husband but the detectives do not. The ironic and symbolic things in the story add more depth to the story. Overall, without these components Dahl added in the story, there would be less meaning and depth. //Amanda Chung, block B.//


 * Note from Ms K**: //A good paragraph. What I really like about this is that it's very clearly written and explained. However, the language is informal in places - can you think of more formal words to replace those underlined? In addition, the last sentence needs work - it is too general and also repeats ideas from the previous sentence. Try to be more specific, for example: "They create dark humour and contribute to developing the themes of the story. Perhaps Dahl is trying to show us that not everything is black and white - people can be innocent and gentle but do terribly violent things when provoked."//

=//4.// Point of View= __//By Liam McGrath and Kumar Patel - edited by Ms K// __ __//Lamb to the Slaughter// __ is told from the third person limited point of view. This means that even though the story is told from the third person point of view, it is focused on one character, in this case Mary. The reader knows some of how she feels and what she thinking, but not all. Because the story is told from the third person point of view, you are at an advantage because you know information that the policemen and the other characters don’t know. You know who committed the murder and how it was committed. This makes the story suspenseful because the reader keeps wondering whether or not the policemen will catch her or not. It also feels uncomfortable to know what the murderer is feeling and thinking. However, we are **not** inside Mary’s head. We know most of the time what Mary is thinking and what she wants to do, but only **after** the murder - because the story is not told in the first person we don't see her thought process as she plans the murder (like we do in The Tell Tale Heart). This point of view is essential, therefore, for allowing Dahl to constantly shock and surprise the reader with unexpected events.