What is a good way to describe Roald Dahl's theme in short story: "the landlady"?

Question

i am looking for theme of story, not just the main idea

Answer 1

Hm. I suppose if I were trying to extract a theme from such a short work, I might say it was something along the lines of "the unexpected" or perhaps just "murder" or "insanity".

Answer 2

You could touch on appearances (misleading appearances- an innocent old lady poisoning guests, perfect appearances- blemish-free skin). Or something having to do with memory or recollection- Billy Weaver swore he heard those names before, but didn't know where, etc. Maybe even perhaps preservation (stuffing animals) of feelings or lifestyle... Good luck with whatever you pick