... to be no different than most rural communities. The story begins very light-hearted but has a surprising ending. The people of the town are gathering to determine whose life will be sacrificed by randomly selecting pieces of paper from a black 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 ... . The children are even involved, gathering stones for the beating. This symbolizes how de-sensitized a society becomes after being exposed to senseless violence for such a...

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

... theme of the story is evident, and the implication is that the stoning of a human being is a sacrifice to the vegetation gods who each year bring back life to the flowers and fields-(36-37). This idea would be, at first, overlooked by the reader, however, Jackson says the men began to gather "speaking of planting and rain-(138). Also, when some of the village people start talking about giving up the lottery Old Man ... much trouble and damaged crops. Halloween has always been associated with evil, pagan acts. The last important role in analyzing the setting of "The Lottery- is Jackson's...

• Word Count: 1114
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... normal town has these buildings, which are essential for day-to-day functioning. The townspeople also establish a normal, comfortable setting for the story. The children are doing what all-typical kids do, playing boisterously and gathering rocks. The women of the town are doing what all-stereotypical females do, "exchanging bits of gossip." The men are being average males by chatting about boring day-to-day tasks like " ... all-- they"re simply following an ancient ritual. The lesson in this story hits pretty hard. The Lottery's relationship to real life is that sometimes we are presente...

• Word Count: 926
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... tradition going. Another device that the author has employed is the use of foreshadowing. As the reader impatiently waits for the prize of the lottery, the author prepares in some of the eventual outcomes. Early in the story, it is told of Bobby Martin and other boys were stuffing their pockets with "the smoothest and roundest" stones (Jackson 539). The gathering of stones seems a bit odd. ... It is not clear why the stones and their significance at this point, but at the end of the story, the ... Rose for Emily" the main character Emily is a product of the Old South, a culture that has ...

• Word Count: 1413
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... many lotteries the people of this town have grown immune to the horror of killing a fellow citizen. The idea that a society could ever become so sadistic is unnerving. Jackson also creates a thick layer of suspense by keeping the intent of the lottery a secret to the end of the story. The beginning of the story goes into intricate detail describing the way the people gather and what they do after arriving in the square. However, the purpose of this gathering in never ... is the black box that they draw the tickets from. This box represents the traditions of the town and the sole purpose...

• Word Count: 654
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... when something works or when it does not affect them in a specific way. Zachary Barnett writes, " the whole point of the fable is to make grotesquely clear man's absurd fear of change" ("Review of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery"). In the story, Old Man Warner, a seventy-seven year old man, quickly counter-attacks Mr. and Mrs. Adams when they begin to converse about towns who had ... Martin all seem to hold highly credible roles in society, nonetheless they seem to hold similar roles in the tradition of the lottery. Mr. Summers, one of the wealthiest men in town and the owner of the coal c...

• Word Count: 1116
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School