Wednesday 10 May 2017

What do you think Patrick told Mary? Why do you think this?Use evidence to support your opinion.

It is quite likely Patrick told Mary that he was leaving her. However, we do not initially expect such an uncharacteristic development, as the author begins the story innocently enough.

The first inkling we receive that something may be amiss is when Patrick downs his first drink quickly and summarily refuses Mary's offer to get him another. He gets the drink himself, and we are told that it is quite a bit stronger than the previous one.



When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quantity of whiskey in it.


She watched him as he began to sip the dark yellow drink, and she could see little oily swirls in the liquid because it was so strong.



Patrick continues to remain aloof from Mary, as he refuses every courtesy from her. Finally, he tells her to sit down because he has something important (presumably) to tell her. The author tells us that it didn't 'take long, four or five minutes at most,...' and that Mary was visibly horrified and shell-shocked by what she heard. The next lines are the ones we are interested in.




"So there it is," he added. "And I know it's kind of a bad time to be telling you, but there simply wasn't any other way. Of course I'll give you money and see you're looked after. But there needn't really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn't be very good for my job."



Notice Patrick reiterates almost apologetically that it's 'kind of a bad time to be telling' Mary whatever he has just told her. Here, he is referring to giving Mary bad news while she is pregnant with their unborn child. This, taken alone, isn't enough information for readers to gauge what Patrick's bad news could possibly be. It isn't until the next line that we receive some sort of an inkling as to what Patrick is talking about.



Of course I'll give you money and see you're looked after.



At this point, the author doesn't tell us whether Patrick has found another lover, but the implication is quite clear. He tells Mary that he will provide for her and make sure that she is looked after. To all intents and purposes, Patrick is telling Mary that he is leaving her. In a short story, the author has to skilfully build up to the rising action and subsequent climax fairly quickly. Here, Roald Dahl executes his literary aims expertly. Patrick's next words provide us a more complete picture of the kind of man that he is.



But there needn't really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn't be very good for my job.



In essence, Patrick exhibits the typically callous and self-absorbed characteristics of an unfaithful husband. He certainly treats his wife insensitively throughout their little conversation. So, by the time Mary hits her husband over the head with the frozen leg of lamb and kills him, we may find our sympathies just a little on her side than on Patrick's.

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