The Lottery

Part I of Essay
When one thinks of a lottery, they imagine winning a large sum of money. Shirley Jackson uses the setting in to foreshadow an ironic ending. The peaceful and tranquil town described in this story has an annual lottery, and you can’t possibly guess what the “prize” is… Th ....

Part II of Essay
.... are doing what all typical kids do, playing boisterously and gathering rocks. The woman of the town are doing what all stereotypical females do, “exchang[ing] bits of gossip.” The men are being average males by chatting about boring day-to-day tasks like “planting and rain, tractors and taxes.” Despite this comfortable and normal setting, there are hints of the town’s unusualness that foreshadow a surprise ending. For example, is being held “around ten o’clock” in the morning, which is an unusual time because in most towns all the adul ....