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Justify the title of the story "Lamb to the Slaughter."

The title of "Lamb to the Slaughter" is rather ingenious because it has so many possible meanings. "Lamb to the Slaughter" is more than a double-entendre; it might be called a "quadruple-entendre." A frozen leg of lamb is used by Mary Maloney to "slaughter" her husband. That weapon once belonged to a real lamb that was "slaughtered" in order to be used as food. Patrick is the one who is "slaughtered" in the story. He is an easy victim of his enraged wife because, like a lamb going to the slaughter, he is completely unsuspecting. Mary, who does the slaughtering in the story, behaves very much like a meek lamb until her husband shatters her illusions by telling her that he wants out of their marriage. The police who arrive on the scene do not suspect Mary because they have always considered her a very meek, mild, gentle, patient woman, not unlike a lamb. The whole story is based on the fact that the murder weapon is never found because no one would ever think of a murderer using a frozen leg of lamb for the "slaughter."

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