Irony in "Lamb to the Slaughter"

The irony in “Lamb to the Slaughter” makes the story memorable. For example, the detectives stated, “Probably right under our noses. What do you think Jack?” when they sat down to eat the leg of lamb (p.324). This shows that, the detectives were unaware of the lamb being the weapon, but the audience knows what it was used for, which makes it dramatic irony. This also shows that, the reader is amused because they know that the weapon really is under their nose. For example, Mary yelled, “Patrick!...How are you, darling?” after she got home from the vegetable store (p.321). This shows that, she blatantly tried to act like everything was normal even though she knows he is not okay making this situation verbal irony. This also shows that, the reader is interested in how she is going to act when she finds Patrick dead. In conclusion, Mary Maloney keeps the reader guessing based on her behavior and how she handled the murder of her husband.