For this essay I will be comparing four Roald Dahl short stories and their social, historical, and cultural content with reference to a fifth story which I felt differed from the rest. I will be including quotes from the texts to support my views and opinions. .
The four stories that I am going to compare are "Lamb To The Slaughter", "The Landlady", "The Man From The South", and "The Way Up To Heaven". I believe that each of these stories where set in the 1950's because of the language used by the characters in the stories. Also the settings of the stories give evidence of their era's.
The social influences that effect "Lamb To The Slaughter" are that Mary Maloney doesn't have a social life and just sits at home all day waiting for her husband to come home from work each day. The evidence of this in the story is where it says "Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come." This shows that she has no social life with anyone but her husband and is devoted to him.
The social influences that effect "The Landlady" are that the landlady doesn't have many customers and chooses who she wants to stay at the bed and breakfast. The evidence of this is where it says "It isn't very often that I have the pleasure of taking a visitor into my little nest," and "But the trouble is that I"m inclined to be a little bit choosey and particular - if you see what I mean" it goes on to say "But I"m always ready. Everything is always ready day and night in the house just on the off-chance that an acceptable young gentleman will come along." This shows that she doesn't have much contact with anyone.
The social influences that effect "The Man From The South" are that the man walks around the pool and chooses his victim carefully. This is shown when it says "He came bouncing along the side of the pool, looking at the people and the chairs.
