Patrick Maloney's unexplained decision to leave his pregnant wife. This violation of the marriage-vow is obviously not the only betrayal in the story, however. Mary's killing of her husband is perhaps the ultimate betrayal. Her elaborately planned alibi and convincing lies to the detectives also constitute betrayal.
Love and Passion.
At the beginning of "Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary Maloney feels love and physical passion for her husband Patrick. .
She luxuriates in his presence, in the "warm male glow that came out of him to her, " and adores the way he sits, walks, and behaves. .
Patrick is presumably motivated to leave his wife by an overriding passion for something or someone else. .
Mary's mention of his failure to advance at work, and his own wish that she not make a "fuss " about their separation because "It wouldn't be very good for my job " indicate that it may be professional success that he desires. .
His treatment of his wife does not suggest that he loves her.
Identity.
In the beginning of the story, Mary is seen as a middle class ideal of a young mid-twentieth-century housewife, maintaining a tidy home and catering to her husband; pouring drinks when the man finishes his day. Mary's sudden murderous action shatters the image that we have of her and that she seems to have of herself. Once she shatters her own identity, Mary must carefully reconstruct it for protective purposes, as when she sets up an alibi by feigning a normal conversation with the grocer.
Then, there are the police detectives, who pride themselves on their ability to solve a crime, but whom Mary sweetly tricks into consuming the main exhibit. Their identity, or at least their competency, is thrown into doubt.
POINT OF VIEW.
3rd Person Point of View.
Evidence: "Lamb to the Slaughter" is written in a 3rd person, limited point of view. We can see this because the narrator comments on Mary's thoughts and feelings, but cannot comment on any other characters.
