1. SYMBOLISM
Mada Brielmaier and Emilee Toureene

2.  “The people of the village began to gather in
the square, around ten o’clock ; in some towns
the lottery took two days but in this village the
lottery took less than two hours.” Page 1
The lottery represents the action and behavior
that has been passed down from the people in
the town from the eldest man. The lottery has
been taking place in the village for as long as
anyone can remember. It is a annual ritual that
no one has thought to question.

3.  “While waiting for the lottery to
begin, the townspeople quietly talk
and joke; cry and pray.” Page 2
This represents the emotions of all
the people who are participating
in the lottery. Some are scared,
nervous, and some are very calm
and assuming they won’t be
chosen.

4.  “Bobby Martin already stuffed his
pockets with stones and the other
children did as well.” Page 2
The stones represent the pain and
death that will be bestowed upon the
person who has the black dot on their
paper. The children are gathering
stones to get ready to be thrown at the
person who has the black dot.

5.  “Mr.Summers arrived in the square he
was carrying the black wooden box.”
Page 3
The black wooden box represents the
tradition of the lottery. It represents that
not much has changed since the
lottery was formed, which was for as
long as the people can remember.

6.  “Mr. Martin and his oldest son,
Baxter, held the black box securely
on the stool until Mr. Summers had
stirred the papers thoroughly with
his hand.” Page 4
The slips of paper represented who
would be chosen from the lottery
and who would be stoned by the
people of the town.

7.  “”Some places have quit the
lottery,” Mrs. Adams said. “Nothing
but trouble in that,” Old Man
Warner said.” Page 9
This represents the town’s long
lasting tradition in the lottery. Old
Man Warner is the eldest person in
the town and everyone knows he
has been helping keep the lottery
going for a very long time.

8. “ Used to be a saying ‘Lottery in
June, corn be heavy soon’ “ Page
11
We feel that they include this
because there has always been a
lottery and nothing has ever
change.

9.  “Bill
Hutchinson went over to his
wife and forced the slip of paper
out of her hand. It had a black spot
on it.” Page 17
The black spot means that
whoever has it will be stoned by
the people of the town.

10. “ “It’s Tessie,” Mr. Summers said,
and his voice was hushed. “Show
us her paper Bill.” Page 17
Tessie represents the person who
blindly picked the paper with the
black dot on it and must be
stoned. This is one of the traditions
that they kept from the lottery that
was formed so long ago.

11.  “The children had their stones all
ready for the lottery to be
complete” Page 17
This represents that even the
children were part of the stoning of
the unlucky person with the black
dot on their paper.