Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Shirley Jackson's (1948) The Lottery revolves around an annual rural town lottery wherein the winner is stoned to death by the other town members. Jackson uses a variety of techniques to ease us into this shock ending, including opening her story in a pastoral and peaceful tone to ease us into the horrifying shock at the end of the story, "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 1948, 1). Jackson also provides us with a host of different characters in the story; the naming of who is an attempt to either fool us about the ending or are ironic in light of it.

The character names in "The Lottery" often fool us about the graphic and murderous nature of the ending of the story. The peaceful, pastoral opening gives way to innocent schoolboys still immersed in the aftermath of a school year though free for summer. The boys are Bobby, Harry, and Dickie, names that are common and remind us of boys running free in summer in our own towns. By using such common names, we will think in the ending that su

Related Essays

Shirley Jackson .... Jackson, S. The Lottery. (Internet) 1-8. Jackson, S. We Have Always Lived In .... Mukamel, E. The Irrepressible Individual In The Works Of Shirley Jackson. .... (1721 7 )

The Lottery Shirley Jackson's (1948) The Lottery revolves around an annual rural town lottery wherein the winner is .... Jackson, S. (Jun 28, 1948). .... The Lottery." Originally in .... (782 3 )

Research Essay Assignment .... as several voices in the crowd said thin#s like "Good .... seventh year I been in the lottery," Old Man .... I have, Here Is A Timeline Of Shirley Jackson's Life -Born .... (3740 15 )

Category: Literature - S