Comparing and Contrasting the “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “A Jury of Her Peers”

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Comparing and Contrasting the “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” portrays a woman, Mary Maloney, who has been emotionally abused such that she cannot bear it anymore. Despite how well she treats her husband, Patrick, there is nothing good that seems to come out of their relationship. “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell, shows females who are living in a male-dominated society. These women cannot do anything on their own since they are bound to follow their husbands’ instructions. When one of them kills her husband, the others realize how they have been distant to her. As such, they decide to conceal something that would have given police officers the motive behind John Wright’s murder by his wife Minnie Foster or Mrs. Wright. Glaspell and Dahl’s stories have the same plot where wives murder their husbands after being physically, psychologically, or emotionally bruised.
The “Lamb to the Slaughter” was set at Maloney’s home. Maloney is waiting for her husband to get home, one Thursday evening. As usual, the couple did not eat at home on this day since they were used to going out for dinner. However, things were never the same again as Patrick arrived home mood less. Maloney seems to love her husband and was devoted to serving her in the best way possible. Some of the women’s responsibilities in marriages are to take care of their husbands, perform household chores, and give birth. On the contrary, males are expected to protect their families and provide for them. Dahl says, “She laid aside her sewing, stood up, and went forward to kiss him as he came in” (Dahl 58). At this point, Maloney appears as a caring, loving, kind, honest, and hardworking woman who is loyal to her husband. In contrast, Patrick is unwelcoming and seems not to appreciate almost everything that his wife is doing for him. Things deteriorated on Thursday evening when Patrick told Maloney that he wanted them to separate (Dahl 58). Specifically, Maloney felt betrayed, and she could not bear it anymore, which is the reason why she hit Patrick at the back of his head using a frozen leg of a lamb.
Similarly, “A Jury of Her Peers” was set at Mr. Wright’s home, which later became a crime scene. The role of women in marriages is reflected in this short story clearly. They include serving their husbands, adhering to their instructions, and undertaking household chores. For example, while at Mrs. Wright house, the court attorney said, “Dirty towels! Not muc...