The Lottery: Ironic Clues

At the beginning of the story, it is stated that it was “clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” (Jackson 284) By describing that it was a warm, beautiful day, Jackson is implying that the setting couldn’t be anymore peaceful. Along with the peacefulness, it is also implied that the towns setting is just like any other basic town with a town square surrounded by a bank and a post office. Jackson also implies that everything is cen

Hall, Joan Wylie. Come Along with Me. New York: Viking, 1998.n Pg. 210-225

At this point, certain events start to come through for the reader to realize that something unusual is about to occur. Looking back at the setting, at the beginning, it was bright, warm and during mid-day. An initial insight into the stories dramatic irony is that severe occurrences usually happen in the cold, dark, hard weather. Another clue is the point that for a modern town, there was no sign of religion, which is unusual. Jackson describes the town square with a bank and a post office, but there is no description of any church, which would be common in any normal, religious town. Another clue is that, Mr. Summers runs a Halloween club and there is no portrayal of any club or celebration of Easter or Christmas. To top it off, Jackson talks about children who are gathered building “a great pile of rocks” which is anything but normal. The reader does not know about the ritual of the lottery so this clue is foreshadowing the event. The fact that the reader does not know this basic part of the narration, a technique used by the Ancient Greeks makes the lottery at the end a dramatic irony.

Jackson starts the story, creating a pleasant and typical mood that is present on a normal summer day in a small town. This story is ironic primarily because the setting contradicts itself with a tragic ending. If you look at the part where the children are gathering rocks, they appear to be normal happy children creating a huge pile of rocks. not children who are being put to work to create a huge pile of

Some topics in this essay:
Shirley Jackson, Ancient Greeks, Joe Summers, Easter Christmas, Criticism Vol, York Viking, Resource Center, Ironic Clues, MA Viacom, town square, dramatic irony, bank post office, huge pile rocks, bank post, normal peaceful, peaceful town, town story, normal peaceful town, post office, jackson implies, jackson 284, introduction black box, town normal,