Murder & Mayhem
In Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter," Mary Maloney uses this frozen item to kill her husband.
What is a leg of lamb?
In Richard Matheson’s "Button, Button," pressing the button in the wooden box will yield this exact cash reward.
What is $50,000?
In Shirley Jackson's, "The Lottery," the annual town ritual ends with the winner receiving this punishment.
What is being stoned to death?
In Stanley Milgram’s infamous experiment, participants believed they were administering these to a "learner" in another room.
What are electric shocks?
"It's not fair, it isn't right!"
Who is Tessie Hutchinson?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," this physical feature of the old man drives the narrator to murder.
What is his vulture-eye/weird eye?
In Rayb Bradbury's "The Veldt," the Hadley family lives in an automated house that cooks, cleans, and includes this digital room.
What is the nursery?
In Ira Sher's, "The Man in the Well," the children decide to do this instead of getting a ladder or rope to save the man.
What is nothing/leave him there?
In the Stanford Prison Experiment, the study had to be shut down after only six days because of the cruel behavior of the participants assigned to this role.
Who are the guards?
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!"
Who is the narrator?
In "Ruthless," Judson Webb prepares a deadly trap by putting this substance into a bottle of whiskey.
What is rat poison?
In "The Veldt," the children's nursery seems to be stuck projecting this specific environment from this continent. (Environment AND continent!)
What is the grassland/veldt of Africa?
In "The Lottery," Tessie Hutchinson only complains that the drawing is unfair when this person selects the black spot.
Who is Bill Hutchinson (her husband)?
Saul McLeod’s article covers the famous 1971 study conducted at this California university.
What is Stanford University?
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
Who is Fortunato?
In "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs under the pretense of testing this rare wine.
What is Amontillado?
In "Button, Button," these two protagonists have a philosophical debate over whether it is right to press it.
Who are Norma and Arthur?
In "Button, Button," Norma justifies pressing the button by arguing that the victim will likely be this type of person, whom Mr. Steward told her it would be.
What is a complete stranger/someone you don't know?
The article about Kitty Genovese investigates her murder in this major American city in 1964 as the setting.
What is New York City?
"Did you really know your husband?"
Who is Mr. Steward?
In "Ruthless," Judson claims he has the right to take the law into his own hands before meeting an unfortunate end by slipping on this.
What is an acorn dropped by a squirrel?
Who is Dr. David McClean?
In "The Man in the Well," the children's detachment turns into fear when the trapped man does this specific action.
What is calling them by their names?
The Kitty Genovese case became famous for demonstrating this concept, where individuals fail to help because others are present.
What is the Bystander Effect (being a bystander)?
"They've been acting funny ever since you forbade them to go to New York..."
Who is Lydia Hadley?