Sakhile Ngwenya
Access English Literature
Different writers write short stories in different ways. Which techniques have you enjoyed and found particularly effective and why? You should refer to two stories in your answer.

Roald Dahl and Penelope Lively have both written short stories that have meaning and they have similarities in them. “The Darkness Out There” Lively Talks about the young people who went to visit an old lady. The old lady told them of a story about what happened during the war. The young people are shocked by her story and just walked away.The story actually gives account of memories and perhaps Lively could be old enough to remember about the war.I found the story fantastic because it shows the difference between the generation of Mrs Rutter and the young people and it actually changed the thinking of young ones towards old people. “Lamb to the slaughter” Dahl writes about Mary Maloney who is the house wife, who is so much in love with the husband and waiting for the husband to come home from work , and dramatically changes to be a killer.

First impression, in TDOT Sandra is the first character we meet, I think Sandra was a pretty girl as Mrs Rutter says that she is pretty and someone else once remarked on her attractive feet. Sandra is a dreamer she sees her self having a place in the country,which is developed ,a little white house peeping over a hill, with a stream at the bottom of a crisp green loan,and having two children a boy and a girl.I found Sandra fascinating she is positive about life she’s got high hopes of living upper class life,fall in love. It seems to me that Sandra loves herself , as any girl of her age will have all those sorts of dreams but others may argue that she thinks high of herself. On the other hand she is a well behaved young girl ,Lively talks about her being in the club called good neighbours which helps old people in the neighbour hood and she calls old people” nice people”
Dahl on LTTS creates interesting settings,Mary Maloney, being a main character,a loving, caring wife of Mr Maloney.The writer describes room warm and clean which creates a good atmosphere around the whole set up. Dahl writes about Mary’s curiously tranquil when she bent over her sewing machine and how she would drop her head with a smilling air about her,and about everything she did. Mr Maloney seems a cold and abrupt character. This can be seen in the way he speaks to his wife. “sit down” and “For God’s sake.” He seems to be controlling and treats her with a lack of respect. He speaks in monosyllables to her which might indicate a reluctance to talk to her or it could be sheer irritation. Alternatively ,Lively in TDOT writes about Mrs Rutter who was a a widow at thirty nine the opposite of Kerry in a way.She claims, “l’ve got a sympathy with young people.”Her eyes examined and investigated “quick as mice.” Mrs Rutter seems inappropriate towards the youngsters.This is shown by,”mind your skirt, pull it up a bit, it’s only me to see if you’re showing a bit of bum.” This seems odd as she is a stranger to Sandra. By using the command, “pull it up a bit “it is almost as if she wants Sandra to reveal herself.