What is the conflict of the Landlady

(by Ganjar Maulana, Nurrizal Ramdani, Ali Topan)

Landlady is a short story by Roald Dahl. The story is about the young successful businessman man, Billy Weaver, who went to the small city called Bath to do his job. Unfortunately, he gets into the wrong place and that make him getting into trouble. The protagonist in this story is Billy Weaver, and the antagonist is the landlady.

Based on event sequences, this story can be categorized as progressive because the author tells the story from the beginning to the end chronologically. This story hasn’t any flashback, Medias res, and foreshadowing.

Based on quantity, this story is used a parallel plot because the author made the storyline linked each other from the beginning of the story until the end of it.

Based on quantity, this story is dense because the main plot doesn’t have a gap to imply another plot.

Below are the brief explanations of the story plot according the plot scheme including exposition, rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, and resolution:

Exposition:

The story was started when the main character, Billy Weaver, came to Bath for the business purpose. It was about 9 p.m. when he arrived in Bath, so he had to find a place for sleep. Then, the porter recommended him to stay at Bell and Dragon Hotel. The exposition ends when he walked through the city to find the Bell and Dragon.

In this part, the author tells the readers about Billy’s characteristic. He was seventeen years old, but he has become a successful businessman. All things that he wore that day were brisk as it was a common characteristic of a successful businessman at that time.

Rising action:

The story continued when Billy walked to the Bell and Dragon. He suddenly saw a boarding house with a big sign “BED AND BREAKFAST”. After a while, it seems that he was hypnotized when he decided to sleep at that boarding house although he preferred to sleep at pub a minute before. After that, when Billy press the bell, the Landlady suddenly appear. It is strange becuse normally when you ring the bell, you have at least a half minute’s wait before the door opens.

Conflict:

The conflict that occurred in this story is “man against man” conflict between Billy and the landlady. Since he came to landlady’s house, he felt that there was something wrong with the landlady. Although she always showed her politeness, Billy still curious with everything that the landlady did.

Climax:

The climax of this story is when Billy saw two names in the guest book. All of them are the landlady’s victim. When Billy ask about them, the Landlady always interrupt him, as if there was something that she hide from him.

"Wait just a minute. Mul­holland . . Christopher Mulholland . . . wasn't that the name of the Eton schoolboy who was on a wal­king­tour through the West Country, and then all of a sudden . . . "

"Milk?" she said. "And sugar?"

"Yes, please. And then all of a sudden ..."

"Eton! schoolboy?" she said. "Oh no, my dear, that can't possibly be right because my Mr Mulholland was certainly not an Eton schoolboy when he came to me. He was a Cambridge undergraduate. Come over here now and sit next to me and warm yourself in front of this lovely fire. Come on. Your tea's all ready for you."

Then, she gave Billy a cup of tea which smells like almond. Actually, it is a cyanide poison because almond smell is a characteristic of cyanide. Finally, the landlady told him that the dachshund and the parrot are all embalmed dead animals.

Resolution:

In the end, the landlady told Billy that he was the only guest who came to her house after two persons in the guest book.

The final part of this story can be categorized as opened, because the author let the readers guests the resolution by themselves. 

Table of Contents

  • What type of conflict is the main character facing in the landlady?
  • What type of conflict is Billy facing in the landlady?
  • What is the main theme of the landlady?
  • What are the main events in the story the landlady?
  • Why did the landlady kill?
  • Which of the 4 types of conflicts is present in the landlady?
  • Did Billy die in The Landlady?
  • Why does The Landlady kill her guests?
  • What is the conflict of the landlady by Roald Dahl?
  • What happens in the story of the landlady?
  • What did Billy say to the landlady?
  • What is the resolution in the landlady book?

What is the conflict of the Landlady

What type of conflict is the main character facing in the landlady?

The conflicts in the story is person vs. self when Billy has to decide whether to stay at the bed and breakfast or go to The Bell and Dragon.

What type of conflict is Billy facing in the landlady?

In "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl, the conflict is that Billy Weaver is being manipulated by the landlady of the boarding house and is unable...

What is the main theme of the landlady?

The overall theme of 'The Landlady' is that you can't judge a book by its cover. You could also say that Dahl is telling the reader that danger lurks everywhere, even in the most innocuous settings. Billy sees no danger at all and is completely taken in by the landlady's kindness and her appearance.

What are the main events in the story the landlady?

  • The Landlady offers Billy strange poisoned tea.
  • Billy arrives in Bath and needs a place to stay.
  • The Landlady asks him to sign the guest book.
  • Billy questions the Landlady about her previous guest.
  • The Landlady answers the door too (strangely) quickly.

Why did the landlady kill?

In the short story "The Landlady," the landlady lures young men into her home and kills them because she is an evil taxidermist. After she murders them, she stuffs them and then puts them in her collection.

Which of the 4 types of conflicts is present in the landlady?

In Roald Dahl's "The Landlady," the conflict is both man vs. himself and man vs. man, or, in this case, man vs. very creepy old lady who kills handsome young men and stuffs them like trophies.

Did Billy die in The Landlady?

Does Billy die in the landlady? That night, lying in his bed, Billy Weaver 'passed away', after mysteriously quitting his job and donating all of his money to the landlady. He had said he had found a place where he would be happy, where he did not have to pay for anything, and then simply disappeared.

Why does The Landlady kill her guests?

This revelation indicates that the landlady has killed the young men for the express purpose of preserving their innocence. Through this horrific strategy, Dahl suggests that all attempts to preserve purity are similarly unnatural and misguided; everyone has to grow up, even though doing so is painful.

What is the conflict of the landlady by Roald Dahl?

What is the conflict of the landlady? In "The Landlady " by Roald Dahl, the conflict is that Billy Weaver is being manipulated by the landlady of the boarding house and is unable to remember why the names he finds so familiar in the register book are so familiar.

What happens in the story of the landlady?

What happens in the story the landlady? What happens in the story the landlady? "The Landlady" recounts the tale of Billy, a young man looking to lodge in Bath and start his business career. He stops at the boarding house of an old woman, and realizes that her interest in taxidermy may extend to humans.

What did Billy say to the landlady?

The landlady shows Billy to his room, and asks him whether he would like some dinner. He tells her that he would prefer to go to bed early, as he has to start work early the next day; she asks him to please sign the guestbook in the living room first.

What is the resolution in the landlady book?

What is the resolution in the landlady? Resolution : In the end, the landlady told Billy that he was the only guest who came to her house after two persons in the guest book. The final part of this story can be categorized as opened, because the author let the readers guests the resolution by themselves.

Related Posts:

What is the central conflict in The Landlady what type of conflict is this?

The conflicts in the story is person vs. self when Billy has to decide whether to stay at the bed and breakfast or go to The Bell and Dragon.

What is the climax of landlady?

Answer and Explanation: In "The Landlady," the climax occurs at the very end of the story when the landlady tells Billy that he is her only guest since the two young men whose names Billy has been trying to place with an event since he saw them on her register.

What is the main theme of The Landlady?

The theme of the short story “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl is deceptive appearances and the price one pays when not noticing the deceit. The landlady in the story is the embodiment of a kind, gentle lady. She appears absent-minded and slightly “off her rocker” as Billy notices from the start, but “harmless”.

What is the setting for landlady?

The story takes place in Bath, England probably mid 1900's. Billy Weaver arrives in Bath, England after taking the train from London. He's never been to the town before. However, he's due to start a new job there soon, and he's excited at the prospect.