What literary devices does Roald Dahl use in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

August 16, 2018 Educator

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, what is Maria doing as the story begins?

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Maria is the family maid and she is packing Bruno’s belongings for an impending move. Life is about to change irrevocably for Bruno’s family as they are about to…

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THE OUTSIDERS

Why were things rough all over in The Outsiders?

In chapter 2 Ponyboy narrates to Cherry Valence exactly how Johnny had become so hurt and scared. Cherry recognized it right away, and Pony gave her the story. Johnny had been beaten to the very…

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ODE ON A GRECIAN URN

What are the subject matter and theme of these two lines: ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty, – that…

These lines near the end of “Ode on a Grecian Urn” have long perplexed critics. Since Keats doesn’t offer us a definition of either beauty or truth, their meaning is elusive, but we can draw out a…

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THE TIME MACHINE

How can the concept of discovery be found or be applied in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine?

Discovery is one of the most prevalent themes in The Time Machine and can be found in a number of contexts throughout the novel. First of all, discovery is what enables the Time Traveller to get to…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

Can you help me with the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding was first published in 1954 and reflects anxieties about the Cold War. In the story, a group of British boys are evacuated from England, and their plane crashes…

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EVERYDAY USE

In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, how do Maggie’s scars affect her life?

In “Everyday Use,” Maggie’s scars serve to define her life, particularly in contrast to her sister Dee. Maggie’s self-esteem is rather low, and she is a quiet person who does not stand up for…

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A JURY OF HER PEERS

Why is the method in which the husband has been murdered so important? (Consider the strength…

In “A Jury of Her Peers,” a fictionalized version of a true ax murder, the method of murder is important because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who make the discovery of the dead canary, are able to…

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HISTORY

Why were the southern colonies better than the other two regions of colonies (New England, Middle…

I assume that this question is asking why the southern colonies were better than the Middle Colonies or New England for agriculture. Agriculture is the only way in which the southern colonies were…

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HISTORY

How much did Reconstruction transform the South and the nation? What were its limitations?

Reconstruction had a major impact on the South as well as on the entire nation. Reconstruction was needed after the Civil War ended to rebuild the South. The South was devastated politically,…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

In Lord of The Flies, what are the two most important events in the book?

That question is so hard. Only two events? So much happens in the book. Number 1. The election of Ralph as chief instead of Jack. Jack obviously wants the position, and he is not thrilled…

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TWO KINDS

Why do you think the mother in “Two Kinds” had such unrealistic expectations for her daughter?…

There are some obvious reasons for Jing-mei’s mother, Suyuan, to have unreasonably high expectations for her daughter and some that require delving into the mother’s past. Any mother likes to brag…

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TUCK EVERLASTING

In Tuck Everlasting, what did Angus tell Winnie held the answer?

Angus Tuck tells Winnie that the answer is in the pond. When Winnie first meets Jesse Tuck, she does not understand why he does not want her to drink from the spring that feeds the pond near…

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NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH: A DOCUMENTARY NOVEL

Discuss the varying points of view used in the first two chapters of Nothing But the Truth by Avi.

Avi uses a variety of writing methods and differing points of view in his book Nothing But the Truth. On the first page is a memo written in second person point of view. The memo is telling the…

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BILLY COLLINS

What are the some of the notable literary devices Billy Collins uses in the poem “Introduction to…

Billy Collins’s poem “Introduction to Poetry” is heavily metaphorical. Collins uses figurative language, mostly metaphors, to contrast what he thinks students/readers do when trying to analyze a…

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SCIENCE

If a person smokes 10 packs of cigarettes a week and each cigarette contains 5.00mg of tar, how…

Hello! There is one unknown in this problem — how much cigarettes in one pack. I suppose this is 20, but let’s denote this quantity as npnp . During a week, a person smokes 10⋅np10⋅np cigarettes….

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SCIENCE

If you decide to send a message to the nearest star (or a possible planet around this star) how…

Hello! The speed of electromagnetic wave in a vacuum is a constant and doesn’t depend on its wavelength. So the answers for green light and for radio signal are the same. The closest star (besides…

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THE PEARL

Who is the doctor in The Pearl?

The doctor is a small but important figure in the book. When Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, Juana and Kino try to get a doctor. As Kino is about to go, the people say that the doctor will not…

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HISTORY

Why were the Arab armies so successful against the Byzantines?

Arab armies were quite successful against Byzantium because, by 1453, the Ottoman Empire had already mastered gunpowder technology through their trading relationship with the Chinese Empire….

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THE PIGMAN

Describe the main conflict in Paul Zindel’s The Pigman.

The conflict of a story is defined as the struggle between opposing forces. One way to simplify the struggle is to determine if it is man vs nature, man vs man, man vs self, or so on. For John and…

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THE SCARLET IBIS

What are some level one, two, and three discussion questions for “The Scarlet Ibis”?

I’m assuming that you are referencing factual questions, interpretation questions, and evaluation questions – also sometimes called level one, two, and three questions. Level 1, or factual…

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FORTY ACRES AND MAYBE A MULE

How many brothers does Pascal have?

Pascal, the twelve-year-old main character and narrator of Harriette Gillem Robinet’s Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule, has one older brother, a sixteen-year-old runaway slave named Gideon. Despite his…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

How does Ralph feel about continuing to try to be the leader? Who still supports him? Why?

Ralph feels compelled to continue to be the leader because he is more responsible and more ethical than Jack. He knows the boys need his influence and he knows he is the one who is their only hope…

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THE GIVER

What is different about Jonas’ features in The Giver?

Jonas has lighter eyes than others in his community. Almost everyone in the community looks alike. Although we are not sure exactly how, it is clear that there is some kind of genetic modification…

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THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

What happens to Junior’s grandmother in “Red Versus White”?

Junior’s grandmother was one of the most well-known Indian women on the reservation, as well as on other reservations. She was known for her traditional sense of tolerance of people’s differences….

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DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Which specific sentences in the introductory part of the Declaration of Independence speak of the…

The Declaration of Independence, when read in its entirety, demonstrates a great deal of animus between the colonies toward England. The introductory paragraphs of the Declaration establish the…

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HISTORY

Define republicanism in the 1700’s.

After the Revolutionary War, the colonists needed to establish a plan for the new government. This new plan was called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were based on…

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THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

How did the twins make fun of the Canterville ghost?

The all-American Otis twins, nicknamed Stars and Stripes, are not in the least afraid of the ghost haunting their new home in England’s ancestral Canterville Hall. They make fun of the ghost and…

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DEATH OF A SALESMAN

Discuss the gender relationships in the play Death of a Salesman. Are there positive models for a…

The heterosexual gender relationships in the play Death of a Salesman appear to be based on male chauvinism. Even in the opening stage directions, Miller writes that Linda loves Willy even though…

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ANIMAL FARM

Explain Snowball’s detailed plan for the placement of the windmill. From where did Snowball get…

In Chapter Five of Animal Farm, Snowball is walking in the long pasture of the farm when he comes across a “small knoll.” It suddenly occurs to Snowball that this knoll, being the highest point on…

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HARRISON BERGERON

What is the overall mood or tone of “Harrison Bergeron”?

Mood refers to the emotions a story evokes in the reader; tone refers to the author’s attitude about the subject matter that comes through in the writing. Tone will usually remain constant in a…

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ANIMAL FARM

How did the animals in the book Animal Farm become more like humans?

As the novel progresses, the animals become increasingly more human. Let me give you a few examples. First, the text says that the pigs learned how to read in the last few months. They learned to…

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A MOTHER IN MANNVILLE

In “A Mother in Mannville,” what did Jerry want to buy for himself?

There is nothing directly stated in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s short story “A Mother in Mannville” that Jerry wants to buy for himself. He tells the narrator that he wants to buy a pair of white…

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HARRISON BERGERON

What is the setting of “Harrison Bergeron”?

The story “Harrison Bergeron” takes place in the United States in the year 2081. All of the action of the story takes place in the living room of Hazel and George Bergeron, Harrison’s parents….

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A ROSE FOR EMILY

Why do we need to know about Miss Emily’s hair changing color in “A Rose for Emily”?

In “A Rose for Emily,” two of the major elements of the story are evolution and time. The story spans most of Miss Emily’s adult life, and the narrative voice of the townspeople charts the public…

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THE SCARLET IBIS

What is the difference between a created symbol and an established symbol?

An established symbol is one that is universally known or common. Readers would understand what the symbol means because it probably has been used repeatedly in literature. For example, the…

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THE LOTTERY

How does the story The Lottery achieve its impact?

The story achieves its impact by being understated and matter-of-fact. There is a ritualistic murder that takes place every year, but how the people go about it is what is most disturbing. Let me…

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HISTORY

What is the question that Jared Diamond is trying to answer through his research?

Jared Diamond set out to answer the question, “How did the world become so unequal?” In other words, he was trying to figure out what separates the “haves” from the “have nots.” In order…

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THE SCARLET IBIS

What happens to Doodle and why?

The story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” is a story of an adult looking back on his childhood and the death of his brother. Brother is the narrator, and by the end of the flashback of his life with…

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THE SNIPER

In “The Sniper”, what happens to him after he fires his weapon?

It depends upon which time he fires his gun. At the beginning of the story, the sniper is fired upon by his enemy because his enemy sees his cigarette smoke. An armored car approaches and a woman…

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THE ORESTEIA

How are the “Furies” (avengers, the spiritual agents of vengeance) described in The Oresteia…

In The Oresteia by Aeschylus the Erinyes or Furies are female chthonic deities. Three aged crones, they were born from the drops of blood that fell on the ground when Cronus castrated his father…

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REFERENCE

How can one demonstrate citizenship?

A similar question has been answered through our website before! This post mentions that people can demonstrate citizenship by giving back to their community. Following the rules and laws of your…

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SCIENCE

A compound with only two atoms would not have a: A) chemical structure b) bond length c)…

Let’s examine each of the possible answers and determine whether they are right or wrong. As each possibillity is discussed, also refer to the graphic shown below. The graphic shown below…

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REFERENCE

What are some examples of internal conflicts?

Internal conflict describes troubles or disagreements which occur within an entity. Such conflict may occur within a single person, an organization, or even a nation. What makes internal conflict…

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SCIENCE

How to determine which out of three experiment groups is the experiment control group? I need… 1 image

Hello! The control group of fish is that group which stays at the unchanged condition. It is in contrast with experimental group(s) where something is changed and we want to study a difference made…

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INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN

In Inside Out and Back Again, why did Kim Hà prefer to be in Saigon during the war and not in…

Life is, at first, difficult, shameful, unfamiliar, and frightening for Hà in Alabama. It’s why she actually prefers the familiarity of her war-torn home nation at times. Toward the end of the…

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THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

What is the tone of “The Most Dangerous Game”, using quotes from the story?

Right from the beginning the tone is mysterious and ominous. Here is how the story begins: “OFF THERE to the right–somewhere–is a large island,” said Whitney.” It’s rather a mystery–” “What…

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IF I FORGET THEE, O EARTH . . .

Why had Marvin never been outside before?

In “If I Forget Thee, O Earth,” we are never explicitly told why this is Marvin’s first time to go outside. All we are told is that he had never been “Outside” and that, when the airlock…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

Chapter 12. What does Ralph’s emotional outburst reveal about the boys spiritual journey on the…

There is a simple way of looking at Ralph’s outburst, one that perhaps the naval officer would have, that suggests that he is crying because they have finally been rescued and he is relieved at the…