... box. Jackson said the purpose of the story was "to shock the story's readers with a graphic demonstration of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives" (254). She accomplishes this by creating an image of an average town, with average people, combining foreshadowing and symbolism, and finally shocking us with the people's actions. Jackson states that in larger towns the lottery can take two ... days, but in this small town of 300 people, it ... takes only a couple of hours, so people can stone the unfortunate lottery winner to death and still be home in time for l...

• Word Count: 963
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green" (Jackson, 347). This is ironic that the lottery would be held at such a happy time. Next, Mr. Graves symbolizes the end result of the lottery, a grave. We begin to see death through him before we actually know it is going to happen. Just his name is foreshadowing of what is to come ... . Old Man Warner is symbolic of the tradition itself. He states that there's always been a lottery. "Seventy-seventh year I've been in the lottery. Seventy-seventh time" (Jackson, 350). He ... shows the cons...

• Word Count: 953
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... society most people celebrate Christmas solely for the exchange of presents; the true meaning of Christmas is disappearing in people's minds. Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" focuses on tradition, exposing to the reader that the meaning of many traditions nowadays may have been lost. "The Lottery" is filled with irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing. Through these techniques, Jackson reveals the true intentions of the story. Jackson sets "The Lottery" in a small village where it is "clear and ... sunny." Immediately, the reader has been set up for a surprise. The "warmth of a full ... ...

• Word Count: 607
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... society most people celebrate Christmas solely for the exchange of presents; the true meaning of Christmas is disappearing in people's minds. Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" focuses on tradition, exposing to the reader that the meaning of many traditions nowadays may have been lost. "The Lottery" is filled with irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing. Through these techniques, Jackson reveals the true intentions of the story. Jackson sets "The Lottery" in a small village where it is "clear and ... sunny." Immediately, the reader has been set up for a surprise. The "warmth of a full ... ...

• Word Count: 564
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School