Important Concepts
 Mood: the feeling the reader gets based on the writer’s
words and use of imagery. You can think of mood as
the atmosphere that is created.
 Foreshadowing: a technique authors use to signal the
reader that something is going to happen.
 Irony: when the outcome of a situation is the opposite
of what is expected
 Setting: time and place
Vocabulary
 Compelling:
evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a
powerfully irresistible way.
 Congenial:
(of a person) pleasant because of a personality,
qualities, or interests that are similar to one's own.
Vocabulary
 Chrysanthemum:
a popular plant of the daisy family, having brightly
colored ornamental flowers and existing in many
cultivated varieties.
 Dithering:
to be indecisive
Vocabulary
 Façade:
the face of a building, especially the principal front that
looks onto a street or open space; an outward
appearance that is maintained to conceal a less
pleasant or creditable reality.
Vocabulary
 Rapacious:
to be aggressively greedy or grasping.
 Swanky:
stylishly luxurious and expensive.
Comprehension Questions
1. For what reason is Billy in Bath?
 Billy is in Bath on business. He has never been to Bath
before.
Comprehension Questions
2. What characteristics of the house make Billy feel it
would be a good place to stay?
 Billy notes that the house has pleasant furniture, such
as a baby-grand piano, a big sofa, and several plump
armchairs. He spots a parrot and a sleeping dog, and
believes animals to be a good sign when looking for a
place to stay.
 He ultimately decides the house would be more
comfortable than The Bell and Dragon.
Comprehension Questions
3. What was unusual about the way the landlady
responded to the doorbell?
 The narrator emphasizes the speed at which the
landlady answers the door, which might suggest she is
up to something. Perhaps the landlady was watching
Billy as he observed the house.
 We get a sinister vibe from the landlady and Billy
senses something strange.
Comprehension Questions
4. Why does the landlady seem like she can be trusted?
 Billy assumes the landlady can be trusted because she
is very nice and too old to cause him any harm.
 Billy notes the landlady is “not only harmless […] but
she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul”
(line 250-253)
Comprehension Questions
5. What are the first signs that the landlady is very odd?
 It is strange when she answers the door before Billy
even took his finger off of the bell, even though he
heard the bell ringing far away in a back room.
 The landlady says the room is “all ready” for him even
though he is just “wondering” about a room.
Comprehension Questions
6. What do you think the landlady means when she says,
“I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass
away?”
 At first, we believe the landlady performs taxidermy on
her pets, but as we read further, it is hinted that the
landlady has also performed taxidermy on her guests.
Comprehension Questions
7. What do you think happens to Billy after the story
ends? Do you think he realizes what will happen?
Explain.
 Billy notices a “peculiar smell” (line 392) coming from
the landlady and relates the smell to the corridors of a
hospital” (line 397)
 Billy notes the tea “tasted faintly of bitter almonds,”
which suggests it might contain cyanide.
Comprehension Questions
8. Based on Billy’s view of old ladies explain why the ending
of the story is ironic.
 Billy notes that the landlady “appeared slightly off her
rocker [but this] didn’t worry Billy in the least.” In reality,
Billy should be very worried.
 Billy goes as far as to call her “not harmless” and a “kind
and generous soul,” when we know she is clearly not kind.
 Billy would never expect the landlady to stuff “acceptable
young gentlemen,” but as we can assume, that is what
happens.
Foreshadowing & Mood
 Billy is like a fly that has flown into a spider’s web,
though neither he nor the reader is aware of it at first.
The tension increases rapidly; we know something is
going to happen, probably something terrible, but we
don’t know what.
 This tension in a story is called suspense.
Foreshadowing & Mood
Q: What clues can you find early in the story that
foreshadow the peculiar situation Billy is in?
 Something about this sign is ominous. "Each word was
like a large, black eye staring at him through the glass,
... holding him, compelling him, forcing him...” (line
104-107) alludes to the fact that he doesn't seem to
have a choice, but is being driven to the house.
 “There were no other hats or coats in the hall” (line
167) – no evidence of any other living people around
Foreshadowing & Mood
…Continued…
 “You see, it isn't very often that I have the pleasure of
taking a visitor into my little nest” (lines 172-173). The
words ‘little nest’ compare her to an insect, a wasp or
spider.
 “Everyone has to do that because it's the law of the
land and we don't want to go breaking any laws at this
stage in the proceedings do we?” (lines 241-244). This
line suggests she’ll be breaking the law at some point.
Foreshadowing & Mood
Q: At what point in the story are you (the reader) fairly
certain that Billy is in danger? Explain what words,
phrases, or images the writer used to give you this feeling.
 The landlady describes the other boys in detail: “trifle
shorter than you, teeth weren’t as white, wasn’t a blemish on
his body, skin was like a baby’s.”
 At this point in the story we have no evidence that Billy
suspects his fate, but the reader may be wondering if Billy
might be stuffed when she says that, “...I stuff all my little
pets myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup
of tea?”
Foreshadowing & Mood
…Continued…
 The landlady also “looked up at him out of the corner
of her eyes and gave him another gentle little smile”
when she said her only other guests were Billy.
 Some possible examples would be the "stuffed"
animals in the living room, the suspicious smell of the
tea the landlady served, etc.
Pre-Writing Task
 “The Landlady” is a chilling tale that teaches the
reader that when something looks too good to be true,
it probably is.
 On your evidence sheet, provide examples from the
text that demonstrate how Roald Dahl creates suspense
and a sense of something sinister as he drives the
reader to discover the moral of this tale.