Literary Analysis Essay On The Lottery

The Lottery Literary Analysis
"The Lottery," is a cautionary tale about how blindly following traditions can lead to dire situations.
Jackson presents a look into lampoons traditions, townsfolk, and the cruelty of others when allowed
blindly following traditions.
We are shown how in our society, people often walk blindly with the bulk. It has been proven in
history, how people follow traditions because it was the way they were shown. The majority rule
carried out in the right way can be a good thing. Yet, it can also cause those in the majority to be
afraid to make a move to the minority due to fear and anxiety of detachment from the herd.
The story of "The Lottery" takes place in a small village of about 300 people. Everyone is gathering
together for the annual lottery drawing. The air is festive and the children's attitudes would indicate
that the town was about to throw an amazing event. Everyone in the village must participate
regardless of gender or age. The reader will soon realize...show more content...
It could take place at whatever time, and at any scale, whether it is your small town, the North
Pole, or an intact country. The literary scene Jackson builds is of an old fashioned, patriarchal
society rich in superstition and barbaric tendencies. The Villagers gather for a random drawing of
one member of the town that they will then stone to death. There is seemingly no reason for this
murder other than the fact that it was done the year before and superstition dictates that it will help
bring in a good harvest The author is symbolically warning against outdated practices and beliefs.
Truth. In this case, Tradition 'defines our universe', and allows some people to hold on something
they sense is 'real' or something that can make their seemingly insignificant lives a purpose.
Realistically, this is much the case of our modern society because every society has its majority and
minority rules. Every society also has its
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Analysis of The Lottery "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a threatening short story. In this story,
people draw the lottery once a year. The lottery which held at a square in the morning of June 27th,
who picked up the paper with a black spot was Mrs. Hutchinson. She claimed that the lottery of the
year is unfair, but the villagers take her life without considering opinions. The central idea of "The
Lottery" is that the blind tradition and custom cannot justify persecution.
The setting of the short story influences the central idea because of it firmly describes the specific
place and time. It is important for writers to allow readers to focus on the typical day of the
village. The primary place for the reader to first understand is peaceful and calm. In addition, the
author depicts a certain square between the post office and the bank on the morning of June 27 as a
normal community, making it seem as if there is no problem with this quaint city. The reader
assumes that the name or location of the town is unknown, but refers to the post office, schools,
banks, factories, and is a relatively modern background. This suggests that the writer does not
simply tell an old story but to show modern society. Through the background, readers can consider
the conflicts experienced by members of ordinary villages, but they are not fully predictable because
they are peaceful. Furthermore, the cruel behavior in the plaza does not feel uncomfortable to the
reader because it gives the

From the early years of life, people are taught who to listen to. People are taught who is invariably
good, and who is invariably bad. Children are taught to respect their parents and follow the orders
given to them. Children are taught to follow the law, and never question why. The Lottery by
Shirley Jackson portrays the downfall of corrupt traditions. From the very beginning of the story, the
town goes through a prime example of blind following. "The people of the village began to gather in
the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock;". In this sentence, everyone
meets in the center of the town by instinct. Brainwashed by the generations, they gather around for
the lottery as they do each year, guided by a pre–programmed moral compass. "The children
assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat
uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into
boisterous play." Shirley Jackson is making a point in just the first five words of that quote. "The
children assembled first, of course." She is saying that, to the townspeople, the children gathering
around for the lottery is a social...show more content...
"The lottery was conducted––as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program––by
Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities. He was a round–faced, jovial
man and he ran the coal business..." Mr. Summers is here described as an average shaped man who
works in the petroleum industry. He is made to represent government, and corporations. It is also
said that he orchestrates all of the town's activities. He is in control of the dances, the holidays, and
amongst the usual items in the list is the lottery, being treated as a typical event people are
conditioned to treat as normal. This brainwashing, as stated in the quote, is organized by Mr.
Summers, the symbol of government

Literary Analysis: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a short story written in 1948. Due to World War II ending
around this time, her story took some strong criticism. The people at that time wanted uplifting
stories, and this story is the very opposite because of its underlying theme of tradition and
conformity. "The Lottery" shows that no matter the tradition or belief, people will not stray from
their daily routine because humans are creatures of habit, and are scared to wonder from what we
know. Jackson writes by providing the reader with little details at first.Then making the reader put
the information all together to come to the conclusion that people will never change. Jackson then
creates symbols of tradition and conformity by adding details, using specific objects, and"The
Lottery" itself.
There are many details in this story which reflects each character, the scene, and the overall theme.
In the very beginning Jackson states, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the
fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was
richly green." Jackson is setting the scene with many adjectives.This quote from the story is a clear
depiction of realism; and how Jackson shows the reader the shift between realism and symbolism
from the beginning to the end. Jackson is using personification to connect the reader to this
environment. All of these so called "good" words

Thesis Statement For The Lottery
The short story, "The Lottery by Shirley Jackson", shows how scapegoatism forms violence and
cruelty behind the story's structural character Old Man Warner. Warners meaning towards the
stoning was that one had to have a connection with fertility in order to have successful crop growth.
Warners behavior towards the ritual tradition has changed many things from wooded chips to slips of
paper to the black box symbolizing death, and continuing to use stones in their ritual. Thesis
Statement: People should stand up to authority and examine their own actions towards what they are
about to do to because they are being brought down by the tension to follow the ritual in a gruesome
manner and thus falling into peer–pressure. Annotated Bibliography:...show more content...
"Even thought the black box lost its meaning they still remembered to use stones"(Griffin8). The
villagers remembered the negative and not the positive in the ritual. The villagers don't think about
others just themselves. Griffins statements can be used to state my claim about cruelty behavior.
Their main arguments can be used in my essay towards authority and violence. Griffins article talks
about how the villagers are being brought down by Old Man Warner and continues the tradition and
converting it to violence. Instead of standing up to Warner and protesting that is not right to treat
human beings as a form of assumption in sacrifice in order for crop growth to

Literary Analysis Of The Lottery
"The Lottery" Literary Analysis
Dystopian stories works depict a negative view of "the way the world is supposedly going in order
to provide urgent propaganda for a change in direction". Often these stories have many themes that
can relate to the real world. In the dystopian story "The Lottery" written by Shirley Jackson, many
themes such as false hopes,hypocrisy, ritual, and mob mentality are expressed throughout the story.
In the story everyone in a small village gather in the town square for the lottery, whoever gets chosen
gets stoned to death by everyone in the town including friends and loved ones. The use of different
themes throughout the story relate to the literary devices and universal storytelling elements setting,
verbal irony, symbolism, and social cohesion.
A literary device element that was used in "The Lottery" was setting. Setting from the story relates
to the theme of false hopes. As it developed throughout the article, it shows that it took place during
the summer time in June in a small village of 300 people. The description of the day states that it "
Was clear and sunny, fresh warmth of a full–summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and
the grass was richly green"(Jackson 1). The quote relates to the theme of false hopes because
when you read this you think it is going to be a nice day and good things are going to happen. In
reality this is a day that most do not look forward to, and a day that carries the tradition of death.
Verbal irony is used throughout the story as well and relates to the theme of hypocrisy.
Throughout the story, many things are said that might confuse you or not make sense which is
verbal irony. One of the characters, Old Man Warner said, " Next thing you know they'll be
wanting to go back to living in caves"(Jackson 4). This is ironic because he is making it seem that
cave men and their lifestyles are modern which in reality they are not. Another example is told by
Mrs. Delacroix, " You're in time, though. They're still talking away up there". Here she is talking to
Tessi Hutchinson acting like their friends and everything is fine, but at the end of the story when
Tessi is the one being stoned, Mrs. Delacroix picks up the biggest rock to throw.

Analysis Of ' The Lottery ' Essay
These two short stories characterized many of the same elements, but also have many stark contrasts.
When I was reading them, they both stood out with several core themes. Traditions and how
communities thrive were the backbones to the two stories, and I constantly found myself comparing
them metaphorically to what we do today. Poisonous or potentially problematic traditions often
justify themselves as sustaining, as in life would only be worse without them, and therefore no one
questions them. In The Lottery, the scene is immediately set within the town square, and we zoom
in on a gathering that clearly of great import. We are enlightened that there is to be a lottery, which
immediately invokes a positive feeling in the reader. A lottery tends to signify something won,
something gained, or at the very least lotteries tend to give us hope at little to no cost for us.
Throughout the story, we learn the true intention behind the lottery, however. Prior to the lottery
beginning, we are told that the entire village, upon gathering, has also amassed a large pile of rocks
that were gathered primarily by the children. It seems to be a very family–centered village, as well
as patriarchal, since the men were the last to gather around the ring, and the leaders and instigators
were all men as well. Of the numerous reason a lottery involving the entire town could be had, the
simple, almost mundane justification for it was intriguing and bothersome all at once. The lottery
was simply

The Lottery Theme Analysis
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson has many themes or message throughout its short story. It deals
with blind faith, customs and traditions, the idea of scapegoat, the cruelty of human nature, crowd
psychology, and even classic gender roles in many societies.
This story mainly revolves around the theme of people's blind faith in their tradition and customs.
Before the actual truth about the lottery is revealed, the villagers are shown as witty, helpful, and
cooperative. The villagers don't know much about the origin of the lottery, but they are still
preserving it as a tradition. Their blind faith in the lottery is killing an innocent person every year,
yet they are following it without any logic. No one is forcing them to keep this tradition alive,
still, they are doing this ritual every year. These people fear that if they stop the lottery, they will
go back to living in the cage. They are so faithful to this tradition that they are ready to kill their
own friends and family when they are told to.
Another theme that is explored in this story deals with the idea of scapegoat. Many ancient
civilizations used to perform a ritual where a human and animal were sacrificed to god in a hope
that it removes the evil of the entire society. Sacrificing the person or animal was supposed to bring
prosperity and happiness to the society. The same concept is used in this story. Every year, an
innocent person is stoned to death by the villagers in a hope that it will flourish the crops. They
don't care who that person is. The whole village immediately turns against that person who picks the
paper with a black spot on it. Even children aren't spared. The year when
this story took place, it was Tessie Hutchinson who was used as the scapegoat in her town. She was
the one who was selected to remove the evils of the society so that the crops will flourish.
The theme of crowd psychology is also explored in this story. The villagers believe that since the
ritual has been going on for years, it must continue. They follow it without any sense of logic.
Though they act sensibly before the lottery, when the time comes, they can do anything in the name
of tradition. The psychology of the crowd affects every person's action. When Mr.

Jayson E. Pedere4SE3
Literary Analysis
THE LOTTERY
By: Shirley Jackson
Synopsis
The story started when people are gathered every end of June for the annual lottery ritual in a small
village. All the head of each family are required to grab a slip a slip of paper in the box that is
placed in the middle of the village. The in charge of the lottery was Mr. Summer. The conflict occurs
when Tessie found out that her husband Bill was the center of the Villager's attention. There is
something on the paper that he picked. Because of that Tessie can't even accept it and she keep on
yelling that it is not fair. She believed that the time given to Bill was not enough to pick the paper
that he wanted from Mr. Summer. The entire Hutchinson family, are...show more content...
When we talk about culture we can associate it to our customs, traditions and beliefs which are
commonly handed down by word of mouth from one generation to another. Just like in the story
"The Lottery" they have this kind if brutal ritual. We all know that killing is really inhumane, but
according to its tradition even if it is inhumane they still need to do it so that their crops will
abundantly grow. And we have nothing to do about it because that is their culture that is their
beliefs. So it is cultural Criticism because it includes the norm of the society. It includes conducts
towards

Figurative language is a strategy that authors have used over the years to give the reader different
perspectives on the piece that they are reading about. In her short Story, "The Lottery", Shirley
Jackson writes about a small town that has a tradition known as the lottery. The way that the
lottery works, is that there is black box with pieces of paper in it. The pieces of paper have the
family names of every family in town. The last name standing then has to go into an elimination
round with the people within the family. Each family member draws out of the black box, and the
family member that pulls the slip of paper with the black dot gets stoned to death. In her short story,
Jackson utilizes symbolism in the form of Old Man Warren, the black box and the pile of stones to
demonstrate how tradition can be blinding without even knowing it. Old Man Warren is the oldest
man in town, and he is a constant reminder of the lottery is a tradition. For example Mrs. Adams
mentions how some towns have discontinued the lottery. Old Man Warrens response to this is that it
is "Nothing but trouble" and the other towns are packs of "young fools" (Jackson 4).This quote
from the story shows how Old man Warren is a firm believer in tradition. He wants to make sure that
the tradition keeps on moving forward. In addition it is important to remember that Old Man Warren
is the oldest man in the town. This is his "77th time" participating in the ritual (Wagner–Martin). One
can understand why he

Essay on The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is a story littered with warnings and subtext about the dangers a
submissive society can pose. While the opening is deceptively cheery and light Jackson uses an
array of symbols and ominous syntax to help create the apprehensive and grim tone the story ends
with. Her portrayal of the town folk as blindly following tradition represents the world during World
War II when people's failure to not mindlessly accept and heed authority lead to disastrous
consequences. . Shirley Jackson uses a large array of techniques to help convey the idea that
recklessly following and accepting traditions and orders can lead to disastrous consequences.
The opening paragraphs of the story contain a light and carefree tone...show more content...
As Tessie's protests continue and the Hutchinson family prepares to draw again the sense of
apprehension is one again mounting, this time fearing for whoever wins yet still not knowing
what their "prize" will be. "The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, 'I hope it's not Nancy'", the
silence and fear of the crowds manifests in the reader as the three children and their parents all draw
slips of paper. Tessie "wins"the lottery and when the narrator explains "although the villagers had
forgotten the ritual, and lost they original black box, they still remembered to use stones" (6) its
suddenly shockingly clear to the readers what the winner is to receive. The drastic switch from a
light and cheerful tone with talk of the beautiful day and children playing to the closing like of "and
they were upon her" (7) is in part why this story is so effective. The unforeseen sinister end of the
story makes the revelation of the tradition much more shocking and unsettling than had the reader
known from the beginning what the outcome would be. Jackson very effectively builds a sense of
apprehension and foreboding as she slowly cues the reader into the reality of the situation.
"The Lottery" has many symbols that help create the sinister and somber tone of the story. The
black box from which the papers are drawn as well as the black dot on the paper are both symbolic
of death. Black is a universally accepted

Imagine a world where one person a year is chosen to die. That is the world that Shireley Jackson
thought of as she wrote the story "The Lottery". Even though the plot of "The Lottery" is on the
morbid side of literature, Jackson had a deeper meaning to the horrid event. In the story, Jackson
shows that big change is a slow process by looking back on how things used to be. First Jackson
looks back on what has been lost, the people's reluctance to give up the past, and the insight from
two characters. The event known as the lottery has been going on for many years, to the characters
in the story, it's all they've know. In the book it states "some people remembered, there had been a
recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery."

Zair Roman
Ms. Thurnau
ELA 9H Period 2
Room A214
18 August 2015
The Lottery: Literary Analysis
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story that highlights the qualities of a society, created by the
author, that tip the scale between right and wrong. The beginning of the story appeared to be
harmless and innocent given the title and the enlightening introduction. At the end of the story, the
reader is made aware of the dark reality of the town's annual ritual. Overall the story contained vivid
details and an unexpected turn of events. The theme represented in the story are the negative
consequences of ignorantly continuing a tradition. The part of the story that sets up the plot is its
theme, which is supported by the author's effective use...show more content...
There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had
preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village
here" (1). The certain and past villagers were reluctant to make any changes to the black box. The
black box is symbolizing the ritual itself, no one wants them to change. the tradition has been
obscured and a bit changed sort of similar to the black box. Another symbol in the story is the actual
lottery, the lottery is representing the fact that people will abide by the rules of the ritual no matter
your relationship with the ones wielding the stones, your friends, family, and the rest of the
village will forget your social status. Also, the residents of this town shrug every stoning of as it
were normal to murder someone. "Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with
both hands"(5). This quote states that Delacroix picked up a large rock in order to deal heavy
damage to the victim, thus not caring that she was her friend and believing it's the right thing to
do.. "Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can go
back to work. Anybody ain't here?""(2). This is evidence to support that no one tried to make the
lottery seem like a big deal and also aren't questioning their own acts of savagery because they're

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Literary Analysis
In 'The Lottery', written by Shirley Jackson, a village goes about their annual ritual of pulling
strips of paper out of a box in belief that it will help their harvest. They believe that if they
randomly kill one person, the entire community will benefit. Shirley Jackson uses a village of basic
farmers and a light mood at the beginning, irony, foreshadowing, and shock to convey the message
that if something is wrong someone should stand up against it, before looking like a hypocrite.
The characters are portrayed as poor, basic countryfolk, and the setting is conveyed as a happy,
warm place when the narrator states, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh
warmth of a full–summer day; the flowers...show more content...
Finally, the theme of the story is that if something is wrong, someone should stand up against it
before it is too late or that person will look like a hypocrite who simply does not want something,
that was wrong in the first place, to happen because it is happening to that person. An example of
this is when Tessie Hutchinson says, "It isn't fair, it isn't right,"(Jackson) only because she was
picked.
Other elements in this story include foreshadowing of what is to come. At the point Tessie
Hutchinson says "You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't
fair!"(Jackson) it is first revealed to the reader that maybe the lottery isn't something to be happy
about but instead, terrified. Also, included in foreshadowing, of something dark and scary to come,
is when the narrator states, "They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and
their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed."(Jackson). Finally the last example of
foreshadowing that something is very much wrong is the narrator stating "Mr. Summers set the
black box down on it. The villagers kept their distance"(Jackson).

Deliberate authorial choices become crucial in getting the readers attention in a said literary work.
Authors spend their whole career developing these techniques to create a style that is their own.
Shirley Jackson displays her talent to the reader in her writing of a pessimistic short story that she is
most famous for. Her famous short story "The Lottery" is one to keep the reader interested not only
in the content but in the way she presents it and the emotional toll that it has on the readers. The
story follows a town which partakes in a ritualistic lottery. Each household draws from a black box
and whomever draws the black circle wins. The family who wins draws again and the winner of the
family gets stoned. Jackson presents an pessimistic story which reveals all the story's meaning at the
end. It is through her deceiving style, her deliberate technical choices, Shirley Jackson first lulls her
reader then shocks them as she reveals a story that takes a look at following blindly and the danger
of misinterpreting religion and traditions, that is a result of evil hiding in the ordinary elements of
life. In the first reading of The Lottery, no reader suspects the events of the ending. A contributing
factor to this shock that Jackson produces is the syntax. Jackson begins her story with long and
involved sentences written in declarative form. These lengthy sentences tend to lull the reader into
the content which has been written. Jackson writes these sentences to create a

This is a literary analysis essay about a short story "The Lottery" By Shirley Jackson. Jackson's
writing style is considered to be a "gothic fiction" that refers to a style of writing that is
characterized by "elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom, as well as romantic elements, such as
nature, individuality, and very high emotion." (www.study.com) In this essay, I will be analyzing a
short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson based on these areas: setting, tone, foreshadowing, and
characterization.
According to middleburry.edu, a short story "The Lottery" was originally published on June 28,
1948. The lottery as portrayed in the short story, is a ceremony and a religious tradition that
happens once a year in a small town village, where all its residents participate in the game.
The setting in "The Lottery" is a very important element because it shapes the mood and tone of the
story. For example, in the very beginning Jackson is giving the reader a very vivid and welcoming
picture by portraying the setting of the story as "the morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with
the fresh warmth of a full–summer day." (Jackson 291) Everything in this sentence seems calm and
peaceful until we find the very first example of foreshadowing in this sentence "Bobby Martin had
already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting
the smoothest and roundest stones eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the
square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys." (292) When reading Shirley Jackson's
stories there are many questions that come to mind and remain unanswered. Why do the local kids
collect the stones? Why are they picking the smoothest and roundest ones? Is Jackson trying to tell
us something? Even though the village seems normal and quiet, it's hiding some secrets that the
reader will discover later on.
Before the lottery started Jackson is giving the reader some clues that the lottery is not what it
seems to be when Mr. Summers says, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can
go back to work. Anybody ain't here?"(295) This sentence makes the reader wonder why the
villagers would not want to play the game and get it

What is the Deeper Meaning of The Lottery? In The Lottery, the setting is a small town with a
population of approximately three hundred people. An important theme in this story is
recognizing the dangers of blindly following tradition. Once a year in this small town, there is a
"lottery", unfortunately this isn't like any other lottery where you win money. Instead, on this
day, one of the villagers is stoned to death because of a superstition that this town has. They
believe that by killing one of their own, they will be blessed with good crop for a year. So, for
several years, they have continued this tradition. The villagers' blind acceptance of the lottery has
allowed ritual murder to become a part of their town's traditions. The townspeople feel powerless
to change even though no one is stopping them from changing their so called "tradition". All of the
town's residents slip a piece of paper containing their name into a black box; even the children are
subject to the lottery's death sentence. One unlucky name is drawn from the box and stoned to
death. The elaborate ritual of the lottery is designed so that all villagers have the same chance of
becoming the victim. Each year, someone new is chosen and killed. No one is safe. What makes the
lottery so entertaining is that everyone turns on the person who is chosen. Friends, and family
participate in the stoning with as much enthusiasm as the rest of the villagers. This story includes the
themes of the dangers of

"A stone hit her on the side of the head. "It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and
then they were upon her" (34). "The Lottery" is a short story written by Shirley Jackson which,
sparked controversy when published in the June 26, 1948 issue of the New Yorker. Jackson used
several different literary devices to support her theme that people who don't question tradition get
what they deserve. The literary devices Jackson uses to support the theme of 'The Lottery' are irony,
foreshadowing, and pacing.
To begin with, one of the literary devices Jackson uses is irony. In theshort story "The Lottery"
Shirley Jackson presents, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of
a full–summer day; the flowers...show more content...
On page 27, we see that, "There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summers declared
the lottery open. There were the lists to make up––of heads of families. heads of households in each
family. members of each household in each family. There was the proper swearing–in of Mr.
Summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery" (27). The whole process and build up
towards the lottery is gradual. Jackson intensively describes each scene and portrays imagery
throughout her story. This makes the story slow–paced and steady yet, detailed. Pacing also affects
the mood of the story as Jackson's detailed descriptions create a peaceful vibe and setting for the
story to take place in. The pacing of the story creates suspense as vague clues emerge but, are not
addressed until later on. Jackson writes everything in detail which makes the reader anxious to
move forth and find out what happens to whoever is chosen for the lottery. This makes the story
seem longer than it is and creates a lead in to the climax. In the text, we see that, "All right, folks."
Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish quickly... Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by
now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her" (34). Throughout the
whole story, Jackson describes everything in excruciating detail until we hit the climax. Once the
villagers find out that Tessie received the

Literary Analysis Of The Lottery
Literary Analysis "The Lottery" As once said by Professor John P. Kotter," tradition is a very
powerful force" (qtd. in AZQuotes). In Shirley Jackson's chilling story "The Lottery", a town
celebrates a special custom of stoning people to death every year. Jackson perfectly depicts a
possible event that may occur from blindly following tradition without evaluating the purpose or
usefulness of it in the first place. Jackson's use of plot, theme, and symbolism reveal the evil
reality of blind faith, tradition, and their consequences. Initially, Jackson's twisted plot reveals the
infinite, vicious cycle that a tradition can become. In the exposition, a boy by the name of
Bobby Martin collects rocks and "other boys soon followed his example" (Jackson 1). In the
resolution, the children were the first to have their stones collected. Without hesitation, they give
the youngest child in the Hutchinson family pebbles in order to stone his mother to death. This
statement proves the characteristic of pattern in tradition and its role in creating a perverse and
unaware town. As Lofaker writes "the guile of the story lies in its neighborly air," and our
acceptance of the "neighborly air", which we recognize perhaps from our own communities, goes
close to making us accomplices in the evil act at the end of the story (qtd. in Smith 1).The most
ironic element in this story is how the sins of the community are washed away as they are sinning,
simultaneously. Furthermore, the rising action and the falling action present two separate sides of
the custom: the supporters and the opposers. In the rising action, Old Man Warner reinforces his
adamant position about the tradition and condemns those that were going away from it calling
them "pack of crazy fools" and "pack of young fools" (4). In the falling action, Tessie Hutchinson
decides that the practice is unjust and shouts, "You didn't give [my husband] time enough to take
any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!" (5). As the first one to say that a practice which had
been imposed for many years was wrong, Tessie Hutchinson is crowned the "winner" and stoned to
death. This proves the difficulty of bringing change and the actuality of the consequence of trying to
fight a

"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full–summer day; the
flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green" (Jackson). In this first sentence
of the The Lottery Shirley Jackson establishes a pleasant illusion, creating a sense of serenity.
Jackson proceeds to mention that children begin to gather in the village, frolicing and conversing
about school. The initial scene and satirically labeled title, The Lottery, provide a somewhat satisfying
first impression to the reader. The introductory scene is eminent to intentionally implement
misconception of the narrative to encompass climatic irony in the story. Throughout, Jackson
saturates the story with symbols creating insight to the mystery...show more content...
For the community, the mere fact that the ceremony is tradition gives them the justification to
continue with the lottery. Another theme is the aimless persecution of one of their own people.
The villagers persecute individuals by randomly drawing a name out of a box while the victim is
not guilty of any crime. The ritual of the lottery is constructed so that all of the villagers will have
the same opportunity to become the victim, even children. Each year, a different person is killed,
and no family is exempt from the ceremony. As Jackson conveys, all persecution is essentially
random, which is why the intentional death of a community member is so relatable. Around ten o
'clock, June 27th was a very vivid day in the lives of the villagers, It was a beautiful summer day,
the wind was slight and the flowers in full bloom. . In larger nearby towns, the lottery is started on
the 26th, but this community was modest in size, so the event only took approximately three hours
to complete, allowing the villagers to make it home for noon lunch. The children are out of school
for the summer, so all come down to the town–square, where the lottery takes place, first. The
juvenile boys in the community begin to make a pile of rocks in a corner, guarding them against
other children. "Soon the men began to gather. surveying their own children, speaking of planting and

Literary Analysis Essay On The Lottery

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Literary Analysis Essay On The Lottery