Characters
Who is the main character in Thank You, Ma’am?
Roger
What type of conflict is in Thank You, Ma’am when Roger tries to steal the purse?
Man vs. Man
Theme of Thank You, Ma’am?
Kindness, trust, second chances
What do the marigolds symbolize in Marigolds?
Hope/beauty in the midst of poverty
Who says: “You’re going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones”?
Mrs. Jones in Thank You, Ma’am
Which character in The Lottery protests the ritual at the end?
Tessie Hutchinson
What type of conflict is in The Lottery?
Man vs. Society
Theme of The Lottery?
Dangers of blindly following tradition
What do the stones symbolize in The Lottery?
Violence and tradition
What is ironic about the ending of The Lottery?
The “winner” gets stoned to death
In Lamb to the Slaughter, how is Mary Maloney described at the beginning of the story?
Devoted, calm, doting wife
What type of conflict leads to Lizabeth destroying Miss Lottie’s flowers in Marigolds?
Man vs. Self → her internal turmoil
Theme of Marigolds?
Loss of innocence, growing up
What do the marigolds symbolize in Marigolds?
(Hope/beauty in hardship, adulthood)
What is ironic about the ending of Lamb to the Slaughter?
Police eat the murder weapon while discussing the case
Who narrates Marigolds, and what do they reflect on?
Lizabeth; her childhood and loss of innocence
In Marigolds, what internal conflict does Lizabeth face?
Childhood innocence vs. growing up/maturity
Theme of Lamb to the Slaughter?
Deception, unexpected justice
In Lamb to the Slaughter, what is ironic about the weapon?
The lamb = symbol of innocence, but used as a murder weapon
In Marigolds, why is it ironic that Lizabeth destroys the flowers?
She thinks she is destroying beauty, but it leads her to understand adulthood/maturity
Which character across these stories shows the biggest change, and how?
(Ex: Lizabeth matures in Marigolds, Roger learns trust in Thank You, Ma’am, Mary shifts from loving wife to murderer, Tessie resists tradition in The Lottery)
In Lamb to the Slaughter, how does Mary’s conflict shift from the beginning to the end?
From being a loving wife → to covering up murder and deceiving police
Which theme from these stories do you think is most relevant today? Why?
Open-ended
Give an example of imagery from Marigolds that builds tone. (hint: dust)
“The brown, crumbly dust of late summer” → tone of despair/poverty
Compare the use of irony in Lamb to the Slaughter and The Lottery. How do the ironic endings in both stories reinforce their themes?
In Lamb to the Slaughter, the police eat the murder weapon, showing irony about justice and deception. In The Lottery, the “winner” is killed, showing irony about tradition and community violence. Both endings use irony to highlight how ordinary events/rituals can hide cruelty or injustice.