“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a story in which the setting sets up the reader

to think of positive outcomes. This description of the setting foreshadows exactly the

opposite of what is to come. From the beggining Jackson takes great pains to present her

short story as a folk story. Slowly, it dawns on us, the terrible outcome of what she

describes. The theme learned at the end of the story leads us to think of where the sanity

of human beings lies. In addition, the most important conflict is betweeen subject matter

From the very first sentence of the story, “The morning of June 27th was clear and

sunny, with the fresh warmth......” We are given the feeling of a rural world. Shirley

Jackson tells the reader what time of day (10:00) and what time of year (“summer”) the

story takes place. This is important to get the reader to focus on what a typical day it is in

a small town. She also describes that “School was recently over for the summer”, letting

the reader infer that the time of year is early summer. The beauty of the day and the

great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other

theme or idea in the story. It symboliozes some type of mystery, but as we read the ending

box” is symbolic of our loathing to change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the

because they are taught and expected to carry traditions. For instance, “eventually made a

community. No one in the little town questions the origin of the “black box”, but accept it

Some topics in this essay:
Shirley Jackson, Lottery” Jackson, Ms Hutchinson, Martin Baxter”, “the lottery”, “black box”, Shirley Jackson’s, story setting, abundance harvest, description setting, “boisterous play”, shirley jackson,