..."The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson illustrates a suspicious event taking place in a small town. Situational irony and foreshadowing are utilized to create a shocking plot. These aspects enact the reader to suspense and surprise and “shock [them] with a graphic demonstration of the point-less violence and general inhumanity in their own lives” (236), as stated by Jackson. The pursuit of situational irony shocks the reader as the plot does not go as expected. Situational irony is "the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite (Oxford Dictionaries). Jackson begins the story with description of the setting; "the morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day" (236). Right...
Words: 668 - Pages: 3
...Society’s conformation to honor traditions Shirley Jackson’s observation on individuals not questioning the society in 1948, is reflected in the shocking short story. The scope of this literary essay is to examine the use of symbolism, foreshadowing and irony which represent the negative consequence of the lottery. In “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson, Jackson uses symbolism, foreshadowing and irony to illustrate how society conforms to honor traditions which are outdated and barbarian. Jackson’s use of objects and names in the story symbolize the religious and symbolic meaning which leads to the brutal death of an innocent. In the story stones are very symbolic as it represents the death of an innocent individual. Stoning is a few methods...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...Foreshadowing is indicating something that is going to happen in the future. In the story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson there is a lot of foreshadowing to the horrific ending. She talks about stones and Mrs. Hutchinson “forgetting the day”. Foreshadowing is used by the author to add suspense to the story and to suggest that the villager will die. One example of foreshadowing is in the beginning of the story when the kids gather in the square and collect the stones. It stated “Bobby Martinson had already stuffed his pockets and the other boys soon followed”. In other words all the where preparing us for the horrible ending. They kill their own kind even their family. Foreshadowing is also seen when Mrs. Hutchinson didn't show up to the...
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” was published in a 1948 issue of The New Yorker and this horror story, written about a annual tradition of heinously stoning someone to death, quickly lead to a mass controversy to all who read it. The simple text was quickly and easily written in one afternoon, after Jackson got home from pushing her daughter up the hill in a stroller (Coulthard 227). The normalcy in which “The Lottery was written created a mixed menagerie of reactions from confusion to the extremity of outrage and even hatred. “The Lottery” single handedly turned the entire subscription base against her, which happen to include her own mother. Perhaps because there is no known origin of this ritual in “The Lottery”, there is no character to...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...B64 3 February 2, 2014 Comparative Fiction Essay In many ways the most influential element of a work of literature can prove to be the characters that the author creates. In the instance of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” the characters are built and the story is wrapped around the individual characterizations. In both Jackson’s and Lawrence’s short stories the reader is allowed to assume any of the possible details to fill in the missing parts of the story. It is not until the end that the reader understands that the characters were giving away the ending the throughout the story. Along with the relationships established, the dialogue and simply executed actions of the main characters the story begins to unfold. The family and friends that are closest to the main character tends to make the story. In both cases of “The Lottery” and “ The Rocking Horse Winner” the extras of the short stories help to reveal the main characters real attitude, honest behavior, and their transparent emotions. In “The Lottery” it is evident that the characters closest to the main character can easily fall in line with the rest of society; in “The Rocking Horse Winner” family and friends can do all they can to help and still not be enough. In “The Lottery”, Jackson begins by setting the up the events that will inevitable come to pass. A few characters are introduced towards the beginning but who they are is not as important as their actions. Following...
Words: 1780 - Pages: 8
...death is inevitable. Authors Shirley Jackson of “The Lottery,” and Flannery O’Connor of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” strike chords in the reader’s humanity. These short stories portray grotesque, sadistic violence, committed with no “apparent reason or preparation.”(Page 146). As readers begin their journey through these two short stories, they realize the frustration will take a toll on them soon. In the beginning of “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson gives the readers a detailed picture of a beautiful, warm, sunny summer day. The readers interpret this as the short story contains happy and inspiring events. Soon this will be seen as a misleading factor by Shirley Jackson. As the readers continue to read “The Lottery,” they come to find that the short story develops questions for the reader midway through, catching most readers off guard. Having to review what they just read to make sure the short story makes sense. In some parts of this short story, the way Shirley Jackson portrayed certain things, makes it difficult for readers to understand if they do not have an open mind to begin reading the story with. In “The Lottery,” the conclusion bewilders the readers, in the sense that lotteries correspond with winning. In retrospect the conclusion does not quite come as a surprise, due to the foreshadowing throughout the short story. Whereas, it seems in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” readers find the change refreshing from the unfortunate ending in “The Lottery.” The turning point in that...
Words: 1009 - Pages: 5
...A Literary Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ By Artavia J. Williams College Composition B ENG 1123 Sean Millligan 10/29/12 An Atmosphere of Irony Shirley Jackson uses irony and foreshadowing in the beginning of The Lottery delivers a mood of calm and normalcy. Jackson provides a picture of a typical town on a normal summer day. However, Jackson uses the setting in The Lottery to foreshadow an ironic ending. Jackson begins The Lottery by creating the setting, she is informing the reader to what time of day and what time of year the story takes place. Thereby, getting the reader to focus on what a normal day it is in this small town. She also describes that school has just recently let out for summer break, letting the reader infer that the time of year as early summer. She continues to describe the grass as "richly green" and that "the flowers were blooming profusely" (133). These descriptions of the surroundings make the reader feel comfortable about the setting as if there was nothing wrong in this quaint town. The town is first mentioned in the opening paragraph where the location is set in the town square. She puts in aspect the location of the square "between the post office and the bank" (133). This provides a visual of what a small town this is, by most things being centralized at or near the town square. Jackson continues to create a normal, everyday atmosphere while describing the residents of the town. First, she describes the children gathering...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...In the short story of “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson starts the first paragraph with pleasant and happy words to describe the morning of the town lottery. Later on in the story, she reveals that what would happen later on that day, was not at all how the lottery worked. Though most of the townspeople thought this lottery was normal, when chosen, doubt and plead for mercy was not uncommon. “The Lottery” includes, heavy foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting to emphasize the story and trick the audience. In the beginning, Jackson uses foreshadowing quite a bit to explain how the people of the town act on their way and prior to the lottery. Blindly carrying out this tradition with no regard for what was to come. One of the main things that stands...
Words: 639 - Pages: 3
...ultimately, no one values human life or anything except themselves. Not only is it wrong but the question looms, will it ever changes? The two fictional short stories, “The Lottery” and “The Most Dangerous Game” both exhibit characteristics of selfishness, cruelty and violence toward ones fellowman. These writings hold great truths because they present what could be real life situations today. In comparing and contrasting the two we find how each of these fictional works displays the aforementioned themes and so much more. It is quite interesting to read about such behaviors and actually witness them now. The news stories we see, the people we encounter, the lives we live. What is their value? What about one of God’s Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not kill?” Life is by far the most precious gift that we have been given. The ability to feel emotions and empathize with our brothers and sisters has diminished, and it is my opinion that it will get worse. These are the times we should all stand together as God’s children, rather than turning on one another for selfish and evil reasons. “The Lottery” and “The Most Dangerous Game” show how quickly, how easily, we as humans devalue the live of another; how one person can turn on another in the blink of an eye. Outline Thesis Statement I. “The Lottery & “The Most Dangerous Game” II. What Does the Bible Say and Killing? III. Conclusion In comparing and...
Words: 1159 - Pages: 5
...There are many incidences of foreshadowing in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. For one thing the title itself is a hint at what the story will be about. A lottery can be defined as a drawing or raffle where a person is chosen to receive a prize. Usually a lottery rewards money or gifts but in this story the reward is not something to brag about. The title indicates that that story will end with a person receiving an award. In the story is says that, “Jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed”. This is rather odd at an event in which somebody wins a prize. The tone this line sets gets the reader thinking that the lottery could be something nervous over winning. Children in general do not know the difference between good and bad because there frontal lobe is not developed. This is one...
Words: 701 - Pages: 3
...The most intriguing aspect of “The Lottery,” is the ability of the story to topple the reader’s expectations of what is going to happen as people blindly follow ancient rituals. Judging from the title of the work and the first few paragraphs, the reader probably assumes that the story instills a sense of hope and fortune. Based on societal norms, the winner of a lottery is generally rewarded a prize. As the story progresses however, the reader begins to realize that this story isn’t about a normal lottery as we know it. It is an annual gathering to uphold a village tradition in which one person is chosen to be stoned to death. This realization is not what was expected based on the hopeful title and peaceful opening paragraphs of the story....
Words: 1463 - Pages: 6
...addressed in the short story, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. The author thinks that anyone would race to “jump off that bridge” if his or her community decided it was necessary. The "lottery" is an age-old tradition in the community presented in the story where the whole town must draw from a box and whoever gets the piece of paper with a mark on it gets stoned to death. The lottery is a barbaric custom but no one questions it because everybody goes along with it. The first time reading "The Lottery” heeds a surprise ending. When going back and reading the story a second or third time, all the foreshadowing the author puts into the story is blatant. Jackson uses foreshadowing in The Lottery to warn the reader of the disturbing ending of the story. To start, Jackson foreshadows the stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson by describing the village boys' preparatory actions before the lottery takes place. Jackson lets the reader know that the boys are collecting stones and putting them into piles, saying, "Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones... [and] eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square." The boys putting the stones into piles foreshadows that the stones that will be used to throw at the lottery winner. At the end of the story, both the boys and the parents will pick from these piles and throw stones at the lottery winner. The boys’ collecting actions...
Words: 1061 - Pages: 5
...as its own story. For these reasons, I chose this cover by Adelaide C. Rooney for “The Lottery” because it illustrates the theme of the short story in a simple yet effective way. Rooney’s drawing capture’s Shirley Jackson’s story by highlighting the key component of innocence, while simultaneously displaying unique imagery of the text on the cover, and foreshadowing of the story itself. One reason this cover is a perfect fit for “The Lottery” is its...
Words: 1084 - Pages: 5
...Literary Analysis of “The Lottery” In the year of 1948, author Shirley Jackson wrote a non-forgettable, haunting, short story about a lottery that takes place in a rural city. The author writes the story to take place in a small city in New England. This is not the typical lottery that first comes to mind. This is not a lottery where a one or more lucky winners are chosen at random to be given a great amount of money, but rather a lottery that is held annually in the city and one individual is selected at random to be killed by the citizens of the village. The tradition of the lottery has been practiced for many years by the people living in the city. The setting of ‘The Lottery’ hides the significance and the purpose of the lottery that actually takes place in the small city. Typically, if a ritual such as “The Lottery” has been part of society for such a great amount of time the habit is hard to break. Even as negative as someone being chosen at random to be killed by the people around them, others seek out that it will happen once per year no matter what. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the short story through objects and names of characters that hold meaning to the lottery. This short story may infer that a theme for the story is that not all traditions are positive and the outcome could literally be life changing. The name of each character in ‘The Lottery’ holds a symbolic meaning within the story. By using symbolic names, Jackson can foreshadow things that...
Words: 955 - Pages: 4
...Exploring Evil in "The Lottery" The Lottery, a short story written by Shirley Jackson, is a tale of disturbing evilness. The setting is a small village on a clear summer day. The village consists of about 300 residents. On June 27th of every year, the members of the community hold a village-wide lottery in which everyone is expected to participate. At first, the reader might think that this is a great idea, not knowing what the “prize” at the conclusion of this lottery is. But as the story progressed, the reader begins to get an odd feeling about the residents. Although they are gathering for a lottery drawing, there is an air of nervousness about the event. From start to finish, there is an overwhelming sense that something terrible is about to happen. This is due to the use of foreshadowing the author uses in the story. In the beginning of the story, Jackson describes the lottery event as an expected tradition that occurs every year on the assigned date. After reading only the opening paragraph, the reader can gather that it is not a "normal" lottery taking place. “In some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours…” This sentence alone should grab the reader’s attention because of the way it is worded. It is not directly saying that something dangerous or evil is going to occur but only hints that this...
Words: 1420 - Pages: 6
