Mary Maloney, Mrs. Mallard, and Desiree all deals with an unhappy marriage that later lead to an ironic death. In Roald Dahl’s story “Lamb to the Slaughter”, Mary Maloney imposes rage upon her husband for some unknown reason. In Kate Chopin’s story “Story of an Hour”, freedom seems to be a unspeakable thing for Mrs. Mallard, who’s confined in a lot of ways: through her marriage, by her bad heart, and inside her home. In Kate Chopin’s story “Desiree’s Baby”, is about of love that slowly turns into a act of racism and reveals an unpleasant side of human relationships. “Lamb to the Slaughter,” “The Story of an Hour,” and “Desiree’s Baby” all show through the death of supporting characters the remorselessness of their respective protagonists.
First, Mary Maloney becomes a murderer due to her husband’s betrayal. Rage can sometimes make people do things that they can never imagine doing. The rage Mary Maloney feels toward her husband and the rage he feels toward her changes both of their perspectives. Hearing the awful news from her husband caused Mary Maloney to act out of rage. Acting out due to rage can cause someone to be isolated and fractious. In the short story it reads “watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away from her with each word” (Dahl 2). The theme of rage can be seen throughout the story; the husband’s actions in the beginning and Mary Maloney’s actions in the middle and end of the story.
Next, Mrs. Mallard experiences freedom from the imprisonment of her own marriage. The news that Mrs. Mallard receives about her husband gives her the freedom that she has been yearning for. Chopin’s explains that Mrs. Mallard is in a state of newfound radiance therefore “she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (2). She was set free from the marriage, hindrances, and dependency.
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Finally, Desiree faces unfair treatment in her marriage due to racism. Desiree’s life was suddenly turned upside down by her husband who also gave it so much brightness. Armand Aubigny, the husband of Desiree, learns that his wife is not fully Caucasian: “Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name” (Chopin 5). The act of racism possessed Armand Aubigny to make an hasty decision which in turn metaphorically murders his wife and son.
In fact, through the death of Mary Maloney, Mrs. Mallard, and Desiree the remorselessness of their respective protagonists shows in “Lamb to the Slaughter,” “The Story of an Hour,” and “Desiree’s Baby”. Mary Maloney is seen as the murderer of her husband due to rage because of his betrayal towards her. Mrs. Mallard forsees the joy of freedom because of the imprisonment of her marriage. Desiree yearns for the love and happiness from her husband but gets racially judged instead and abandoned. Mary Maloney, Mrs. Mallard, and Desiree all face tough circumstances.
Works Cited
- Chopin, Kate. “Désirée’s Baby.” McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. 8th. Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007. 1-6. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
- Chopin, Kate. “Story of an Hour.” McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. 8th. Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007. 1-6. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
- Dahl, Roald. “Lamb to the Slaughter.” McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. 8th. Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007. 1-6. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
