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I think the purpose of "The Landlady" is to present the narrative that nothing should be taken at face value. Just because it is a cute and cozy bed and breakfast, should not imply its safety. It also serves as a warning that not everything is as it is first presented.

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The setting of a little bed and breakfast with a little old lady baking cookies creates a false sense of security and safety. Thus tricking Billy and the reader.

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Billy is characterized as naïve, and trusting by the author. This is emphasized with he relationship with the bed and breakfast owner. "Now, the fact that his landlady appeared to be slightly off her rocker didn't worry Billy in the least."

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If I was in Billy's position I would have run for the hills. The red flag for me would be the lack of guests in the past 2 years!!!

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Yes, I feel the narrator is still unlikable because we never see the result of the change that occurred at the end of the story. We as readers know that the narrator went through a change but we don't know how that truly affected him. I also think it was very heavily established that the narrator was not a good dude, and it would take a lot to change my mind.

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The narrator often dismisses his wife. Never acknowledging her interests or even using her name. There was as a negative implication with the taboo of a platonic relationship between a man and women.

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This line conveys the out of body experience the husband has and his new found empathy he feels for Robert.

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Carver characterizes the relationship between the husband and Robert as rather awkward and one sided with the husband already having a distain for the man because he was blind, and there were moments of silence through the night. There was also and underlying jealously from the husband to Robert.

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The appearance of the b/b, lured Billy into a trap because of his trusting personality. Billy had seen the outside of it but not the inside which is the fault of him being naive, that for him killed.

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If I were Billy, I would have followed my original plan and gone straight to sleep. Then I would not have been forced to drink the poisoned tea. Of course, I may not have realized anything was wrong the next morning, but as I would likely look at the guestbook the next morning, I would go to work quickly without eating/drinking anything from the landlady. Then I would just not return and sacrifice the rest of my luggage. I would probably also report her to the police.

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After seeing the clues of the other people being in the newspaper for disappearances and hearing how she talks about never leaving I would’ve ran away. I definitely would’ve fled after seeing the taxidermies on top of all this. Taxidermies alone are fine but with all the other suspicious. Afterwards I would report her to the police. Although I probably would’ve never entered as I am paranoid about things like this and would’ve just went to the hotel.

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I would of taken the advice from the residents to go to the Bell and Dragon, but if I was in the Bed and Breakfast I would’ve immediately left the minute the landlady said something creepy about seventeen year olds.

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If I were Billy, I probably would have gone to the Bell and Dragon from the start, since this particular bed and breakfast would creep me out. Also, the Bell and Dragon had food, drinks, lots of other people and probably music, which seems fun. It would be much nicer (I assume) to relax in a pub with some drinks and food after a long travel in the cold. They probably had killer fries.

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If I were him, I would have checked price first then inquired about how much business they receive. If there is little business, then I would have doubts and most likely leave

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If I were Billy, I would have left as soon as I saw that there had only been two guests before me.

Danielle Lara

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I would not have even considered staying at a “Bed and Breakfast”

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Similarly to Billy, I would have been enticed by the comfort of the inn as well and would have maybe checked out the prices. However, after seeing that there was no one there, red flags would start ringing in my head and I would leave.

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As soon as I realized the saw the guest book I would run away as fast as possible. No thanks 🙏

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I would not just blindly stay at a bed and breakfast without actually inquiring about the place. Even if I did, I’d probably get out of that Jawn when she started talking about stuffing her pets 😭

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as soon as I saw there were only two other people that have stayed there for the past three years, and that the land lady is saying they’re still here? Personally I would’ve put two and two together. I would not be drinkin that bill Cosby tea and beat the lady, and leave

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If I was Billy, I never would’ve taken a train arriving somewhere with no written directions , while it is pitch black outside searching for a place to stay.

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If I was Billy I would had left the Bed and Breakfast right after she told me I was the only one staying there. As I would be suspicious on the reason why she doesn’t have customers, and would rather freeze in the cold then stay at a Bed and Breakfast with a creepy landlady.

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Stayed home and also quit my job.

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If I was Billy, I probably would’ve gotten out of there ASAP, but I can also see how he felt naive and felt like he would be fine staying. Honestly, it would probably depend on the day and how paranoid I was feeling.

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I am not seeing the red flags and I’m gonna end up being sliced open and taxidermied

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I would have run away as fast as I could as soon as the inn gave me chills.

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This excerpt introduces the setting of the story—Bath, England on a beautiful but cold night. The contrast of the beauty and the deadly cold suggests that not everything will be as nice as it seems in this town. In addition, I think that the function of the setting is to be misleading because I feel that the setting in the story gives off a sense of comfort which makes the readers think that everything is peaceful and okay.

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If I were Billy I woulda probably stayed and died too. The low cost and apparent kindness from the landlady would have been too appealing.

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I would have left as soon as the landlady started to act weird. I’m not trying to end up dead.

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If I were Billy, as soon as she looked me up and down weirdly I would have booked it. And if she tried to stop me I would have fought her. And won.

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As soon as the Landlady said “only you” I would’ve ran for the hills. Her entire vibe and the things she said creeped me out, and she had so many red flags that Billy just ignored.

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If I were Billy I most likely would have attempted to escape once I realized where I had heard the names of the former guests before

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I would’ve seen that there was only two people on the check-in sheet and gotten the heck out of there. Safety in numbers.

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The setting being a bed and breakfast kind of gives Billy the impression that he will be in a safe place. However, we don’t directly know where this bed and breakfast is, which makes for a bit of an eerie setting, and allows the story to evolve into a horror story.

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as a polite young boy. For example “ the compulsion or more accurately, the desire to follow her “ the woman insisted he come in, he was unable to decline because of him being naive and his trustworthiness implying the innocence he carries.

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Setting the story in a bed and breakfast is a good idea for a few reasons. It takes a place where many would feel safe and comfortable and makes it dangerous. It also allows for the landlady character, who would usually seem charming and sweet, to become the “creepy old lady” archetype. The setting could also be a metaphor.

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The setting serves as the backdrop and basis of the story’s theme while also providing a contrast to the actual plot line, as it is the most unexpected place for a tragic event to unfold.

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The function of the setting is to give off a creepy atmosphere of a place that usually contains a warm and inviting atmosphere which is how Dahl was able to twist the story into horror

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Dahl chooses the setting to be in a Bed and Breakfast because B&B’ are backed with an idea of cozy, warm, and a welcoming environment, but this scene is the complete opposite. The story adds suspense to the B&B, while the B&B provides an off putting, creepy feeling that seems to be the most contributing factor to the plot of “The Landlady.”

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The cozy and warm setting serves as a function of irony, but also to build suspense. Billy is enticed into entering due to the comfortable feeling he had when he first glanced in. Thus, the setting acts as a luring factor that drives the plot forward. However, it is also ironic because of the sinister events occurring within. The taxidermic let’s and the hint of death contrast greatly with the warmth of the setting, which evokes uncomfortable feelings from the audience.

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The function of the setting is to contrast and hide Billy’s eventual unfortunate end. A Bed and Breakfast is typically thought of as homely, comfortable, and most of all, fairly safe. So although the reader does catch on that something is wrong, the setting does not initially alert the reader. This serves to make the discoveries later on more shocking and disturbing.

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The innocuous setting of the Bed and Breakfast seems safe and functions as a way to keep lower both the readers’ and

Billy’ guard, so that the twisted secrets lying within are even more shocking

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The BnB serves the function of hidden meaning. The name “Bed and Breakfast” signifies simplicity in traveling as its as simple as going to bed and waking up and eating breakfast. This particular BnB of course is the opposite and results in the death of its guests.

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The bed and breakfast serves to create a comfortable atmosphere that slowly grows into becoming a terrifying one. The bed and breakfast at first seems cozy, then suspicious when no one is there, when we learn that the animals are taxidermies the atmosphere shits and becomes far darker. This helps the reader feel the tension not just through the story but also the environment it’s set in.

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The author’s function to set the play around a Bed and Breakfast is to create a misleading story for the audience. As it’s never to be assume that a Bed and Breakfast would be a place where there are creepy old landlady’s there. It creates a story for the audience to gain knowledge and mystery with Billy, and get to read about the aspect of unknown that Billy encounter.

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With a common and usually homey setting like a bed and breakfast, it gives the reader and Billy a false sense of security in a place that is usually seen as safe. But it can also give the reader a sense of solitude, as a bed and breakfast can be in the middle of nowhere, possibly making billy feel like he has nowhere to go or run, if he had caught on to what was happening quicker.

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I think Dahl chose a Bed and Breakfast for the story because of the comfort that they usually seem to bring, but of course in this case, it serves to show that not everything is what it seems to be.

Danielle Lara

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The function of the setting is to provide a place that seems warm, nice, and cozy, to contrast the true nature of the actual story. At the beginning of the story both the main chacanee and the audience is led to believe that this bed and breakfast is a warm and inviting place, which is emphasized by the imagery and diction. However, this contrasts with the true nature of the horror story, emphasizing the fact that appearances can be deceiving.

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The setting is supposed to symbolize a comfortable place where you can relax and feel safe. The name “Bed and Breakfast” shows hospitality, but we know it’s creepy and quite the opposite

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I think it could symbolize that it’s supposed to be a place of comfort but ultimately the bed ends up being your grave.

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Bed and breakfasts are usually associated with this homely kindhearted warm feelings, so by juxtaposing this with a horror story involving the idea of a deranged old woman who has been taxidermist people it creates this massive contrast for the reader further enhancing the story

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I think it creates an almost ironic nature to the text. By utilizing the idea of a Bed and breakfast, the idea being a cozy environment, you wouldn’t expect that the story is leading itself in a path of a horror story.

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I think the function of this setting is to mislead the readers along with Billy. It is highly unlikely that the reader would suspect a murderous plot to take place after being placed in a B/B. This also ties in with the theme that appearances can be deceiving.

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The function of the story being set within a Bed & Breakfast is to provide an inviting and comforting atmosphere for the protagonist which will is sharply contrasted by the sinister details revealed later in the story

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The author uses a bed and breakfast, usually an innocent looking place to stay in, and twists it into a horrific nightmare. Especially when Billy finds out all of the animals were stuffed.

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A good thematic statement for the Landlady would be “things aren’t always what they seem”

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“The Landlady” emphasizes the importance of

keeping your guard up, as emphasized by Billy’s unfortunate fate. His naïveté and willingness to trust strangers was his ultimate death sentence.

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The thematic statement that is relevant to “The Landlady,” is don’t judge a book by its cover. This is reveal through the aspects of Billy’s actions were highly influenced by the appearance of the Bed and Breakfast, and he allowed the appeared “friendly environment” of a warm fire, and pets impact his idea to enter. As this short story depicts the idea that you should never based one’s opinion on the appearance or outskirts of a situation, as it’s vital to obtain knowledge before and not be deceived by a presentation of one thing.

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Billy is shown to be innocent and naïve. His youthfulness is apparent through his lack of experience in life, as well as the informal diction of his inner dialogue: “He had never stayed in any boarding- houses and, to be perfectly honest, he was a tiny bit frightened of them” (Dahl).

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The thematic statement is that first appearances aren’t everything and that you shouldn’t take information for its base value, but instead see its deeper meaning, and this can be seen in the way that Billy’s trust and naïveté was taken advantage of resulting in his most likely death.

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The theme statement that appearances may be deceiving fits “The Landlady”. Even though Billy says that she seems nice and the B/B looks to be his best option, the opposite is true. The landlady is actually very dangerous, and she has managed to lure Billy into a dangerous place.

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Dahl characterizes billy as being naive and innocent. As soon as he meets the landlady, he has a desire to follow her into the house, no questions asked. “After all, she was not only harmless-there was no question about that-but she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul.” Through this quote, we can strongly see Billy’s innocence, as he perceives the landlady to be a gentle woman, even though he doesn’t know her at all.

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To sum it up in a few words, sometimes things can be too good to be true, as that was very much what brought Billy to the Bed & Breakfast, which in turn led to his unfortunate yet partly expected demise

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A thematic statement relevant to “The Landlady” would be to trust what your body and mind are in fear or worry of; trust your extincts.

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The thematic statement would be to don’t judge a place by only on appearance, instead get advice of the residents and use the advice they give to help guide you.

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A thematic statement that can be relevant to “The Landlady” is to not be deceived by what it seems to be.

Danielle Lara

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the thematic statement relevant to the landlady is to not trust a book by its cover lol

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“Things are not always what they seem” is a thematic statement that is relevant to the story.

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A thematic statement that can be relevant to “The Landlady” is that being naive can make one unaware of dangerous situations.

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A thematic statement relevant to “The Landlady” is that danger is hidden in unexpected places. The Bed and Breakfast appears from the outside to be a cheery and comfortable place, but in reality the image it projects is just a facade to hide the landlady’s sinister hobby of taxiderming her guests.

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In “The Landlady” by Ronald Dahl, innocence is shown to be easily susceptible to perverse cruelty.

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A thematic statement would be, To trust but be cautious. The idea of being a trusting person has nothing wrong with it, but the lack of caution can leas to horrible outcomes, just as it likely did for Billy

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The Landlady has the theme that looks can be deceiving. The woman is described as kind and friendly but turns out to be a murderer. The BnB is described as homely and inviting but in fact has an almost supernatural/evil allure to it that leads to innocent deaths.

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The main thematic statement in “The Landlady“ is that you cannot trust everyone, and you cannot assume what something is or will be just by its appearance.

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A thematic statement for the “Landlady” is: Someone sinister can hide behind a friendly smile. In the “Landlady” Billy is lured in by the landlady’s friendly demeanor but we soon see that she is a killer who lures in and then taxidermies the people who stay at her house.

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Blind trust in the unknown can lead to dire consequences.

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The thematic statement of the Landlady is to never take appearances for what they seem to be. When Billy stays at the bed and breakfast, he assumes this lady is very sweet and innocent, when really she is a terrifying monster.

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A thematic statement that can be made regarding The Landlady is that trust can be dangerous when misplaced, which is shown with Billy’s implied murder

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as naive and oblivious by foreshadowing possibly bad outcomes playing in the mind of Billy, but him continuing to brush off the obvious danger. One line of this being on page 3, under line 240, “Now, the fact that his landlady appeared to be slightly off her rocker didn’t worry Billy in the least.” A character with maturity and confidence would have seen her behavior as something to be deeply inclined to.

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Dahl characterizes Billy as a polite but practical Englishman who is curious and naive. He describes Billy as sweet and admirable, giving examples like, “He turned away from the dog and stayed with deep admiration at the little woman behind him on the sofa,” (Dahl 469-471).

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as a naive and innocent boy, for he chooses to stay with the landlady even as he notices concerning things about the situation. “Billy set down his cup slowly(…) and stared at his landlady,” (Dahl).

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as innocent and still with naïveté, told by his age (“Billy was seventeen years old”) and his aspirations (“The big shots up at Head Office…”)

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Roald Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as a naive but mature young man. Despite him not seeing the red flags for the Landlady being terrifying, he is very polite to her for his age. “‘That’s all right’, Billy answered brightly. ‘You musn’t worry about me,’” (Dahl 220).

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Dahl characterizes Billy as a innocent 17 year old boy dressed dapperly, trying to imitate what a successful business man would dress like. “He was trying to do everything briskly these days. (Dahl 32-33)

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Dahl’s indirectly characterizes Billy by presenting him as a polite and practical English man. Ironically, it is these otherwise innocent and admirable personality traits that land him in the clutches of a murderous landlady.

Quote:

““I’m so glad you appeared,” she said, looking earnestly into his face. “I was beginning to get worried.”

“That’s all right,” Billy answered brightly. “You mustn’t worry about me.” He put his suitcase on the chair and started to open it.”(Dahl)

This exchange occurs after the landlady has shown Billy to his room in her bed and breakfast. It reveals Billy to be a positive but somewhat clueless person. The landlady is clearly not referring to Billy’s safety when she says she was starting to get worried, but Billy completely misses this hint.

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The characterization of Billy is of innocence, naïveté, and politeness because Billy is so polite to not leave the bed and breakfast when he feel’s something off also makes him naive “landlady appeared to be slightly off her rocker didn’t worry Billy in the least”

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Dahl indirectly characterizes the protagonist through embedding aspects of his inner emotions and thoughts into the short horror piece. As when Billy first saw the Bed and Breakfast he convinces himself that it was a friendly and safe place to stay; “Animals were usually a good sign in a place like this, Billy told himself” page 1. In this quote it depicts the character of Billy and his innocence, and aspect of lack of knowledge and maturity. As the author portrays him as a wise seventeen year old young adult, however the features of Billy influencing himself that lead him to his possible death, portrays the unknowledgeable character he is.

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Billy is characterized as innocent and naive to his situation. Despite seeing many hints to what’s really going on he ultimately is oblivious to the situation. “Haven’t there been any other guests in the last two or three years” (Dahl). This quote comes after Billy has received many warnings and he asks about something very suspicious yet doesn’t seem to be aware of the implications of everything he’s seen.

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Dahl characterizes Billy as a young, naive man fresh out of school. He does this when describing what he’s wearing (“new” everything), when showing how Billy looks up to and tries to be like the “big shots up at Head office,” and in his interactions with people like the landlady, where he doesn’t notice anything suspicious for longer than he should have.

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Dahl characterizes Billy as a generally innocent and naive person, not only through his age but through his inner thoughts and actions. Through lines like “He turned away from the dog and stayed with deep admiration at the little woman beside him on the sofa,” (Dahl 469-471), we see that even through all the hints that the land lady may have bad intentions, he still looks to her as a admirable and sweet person.

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as a Naive young boy. He acts very nonchalant about the entire situation and doesn’t raise any concerns. Lines like “I’m a lucky fellow, thought… This is a bit of all right” establish how he’s naive and has no precautions of his surroundings

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Dahl characterizes Billy as an innocent and almost naive young man. He is shown to be easily-influenced when Dahl shows his eagerness to act like those who are older than him. Billy wants to be brisk, saying “Briskness, he had decided, was the one common characteristic of all successful businessmen.”

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy’s character as being naive as he constantly disregards all the red flags of the Bed and Breakfast because he is solely looking for a cheap place to stay the night.

Danielle Lara

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Dahl characterizes Billy as someone innocent and easily trusting, making him naive and indicating he is most likely pretty young.

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Dahl characterized Billy as an earnest young man. Billy is describes as eager to impress his higher-ups at work and instead of immediately assuming the landlady is crazy he assumes she must have lost a son in the war and is trying to compensate for that. Billy represents an innocent person falling victim to bad luck.

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy as very naive and too trusting of others. For example, Billy wants to do everything briskly in life just because he thinks that all successful business do things briskly. Billy also does not catch on to anything the landlady is saying and even looks at her with admiration after learning she taxidermies her pets. Dahl shows that Billy never stops to consider whether his supposed superiors are right or not.

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Dahl indirectly characterizes Billy Weaver as being mostly open-minded and naive due to his youth, innocently trusting the landlady even as he begins to make alarming discoveries

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though the narrator starts to redeem himself, he is still disliked by the audience because he put no personal effort into changing his prejudiced perspective, he only did so when Robert made an effort to change the narrator’s perspective

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By the end of the short story I think the narrator does becomes more like able because he shows some development since he has met Robert. He eventually kind of understands the Robert but he still struggles a bit.

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In ending this short story with the husband having a realization with Robert, and gaining appreciations to the life Robert has; reconstructs the narrator to be not fully likeable. As the narrator stills needs better conversational skills, however in the end it displayed the opportunity for the audience to see more growth. As the actions of the husband weren’t acceptable, however his growth within himself depicts his capabilities and even new perspectives the audience will grow to like.