"Lamb to the Slaughter" tells us any human is capable of murder if they have adequate provocation. Mary Maloney is provoked when her husband tells her he wants a divorce, an announcement which her husband makes in the middle of the story. Prior to this news, Mary is the ideal wife: she is a pregnant homemaker who busies herself by fulfilling the needs of her husband. Once she is dealt this blow, however, Mary is placed under significant psychological stress, as shown by her description in the text:
She couldn't feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking.
These psychological changes transform Mary from an ordinary housewife into a murderess who uses the first object she comes across—a leg of lamb—to murder her husband. This suggests every person has a breaking point and, when pushed, is capable of acting in the most violent and shocking way.
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