Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band

Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band

"Lamb to the Slaughter" is a short murder mystery story written by

Roald Dahl a Norwegian author, in 19 54. It is a Black comedy and was

very macabre and startling for its time, and still is now, but it

isn't seen as quite so shocking and politically incorrect "Did they

kill them both- mother and child?" Roald Dahl is more famous for his

children's stories such as "James and the Giant Peach" and "The

Twits", than his stories for adults, these include "Kiss, Kiss" and

"Tales of the Unexpected", which was also televised as a series of

short stories.

"The Speckled Band" is also a relatively short murder mystery story.

It was written in 1892 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It features Sherlock

Holmes, who is the detective that Conan Doyle writes his murder

mysteries about, he is the stereotype of a Victorian detective. He is

what Victorian people would want all detectives to be like, he always

solves his cases, he respects others and is strong, in body and in

mind. "He unravelled problems which were submitted to him." He makes

"rapid deductions…founded on a logical basis." and is admired by many

for this, "I have no keener pleasure than in following Holmes."

The stories written about him are stereotypical of Victorian Detective

stories, this also means that the victims, and murderer will be

stereotypical of the time. The murderer is a man of immense strength,

"seized the poker and bent it into a curve." he has control over Helen

and Julia, the two victims. "Five little livid spots, the marks of

four fingers and a thumb printed upon the white wrist." This shows

that Dr Roylott is s...

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...e about the story. The ending of "The Speckled Band" is

less eventful it is just a description of how Holmes managed to solve

the case, it is a very mundane ending and doesn't add anything to the

story.

Together these stories show how society has changed, In the times of

"The Speckled Band" a family secret was hidden and guarded with dire

consequences if let out into the world, "many times I had to pay to

keep his rampages out of the headlines." "Lamb to the Slaughter" shows

that if you had a secret you told whomever it was of concern to,

Patrick told his wife, Mary his secret, although perhaps he shouldn't

have, if he hadn't he would be alive. Maybe this is a hint telling us

that we were better off in the Victorian society when you wouldn't

tell your wife a secret and that way she wouldn't have a reason to

kill.