Short stories: the art of deception

In Lamb to the slaughter, Mary Maloney is described as a loving wife that is completely devoted to her husband. But when her husband tells her that he is leaving her to pursue another love interest, the shock transforms her into a whole new person. She kills her husband in cold blood, tricks the grocer into giving her an alibi that she was not at the scene of crime at the time of the murder, and tricks the police into destroying the evidence, hence getting away scot free with a blend of shrewd thinking and acting.

In Male Child, Chuan Poon is initially portrayed as a loving and caring husband. It is later revealed that after having six daughters and no male children, Chuan Poon suspects that he is wrought with a curse that he can never have a son. He thinks that it is because of something he did wrong when he was younger, and does not blame his wife, emphasizing thatr he is a loving husband. Later, his wife becomes pregnant. Chuan Poon prays to have a male child this time round. Unfortunately, he meets a prostitute at a brothel which he wants to take as his wife. He then cannot decide whether to stay with his faithful wife or marry the prostitute whom he desires. He especially detests it when other clients visits the prostitute to engage in her services.Finally, Chuan Poon decides to take the prostitute. Now, ironically, he hopes his wife will give birth to a daughter once again as this will allow him take the prostitute as h is bride because he can say that his wife is not giving him a heir. The reader is deceived as Chuan Poon is said to be a good man but his actions prove otherwise.