Analysis of Setting in

             a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly .
             green."" She also states, "school was recently over."" The reader can now.
             familiarize himself in the time Jackson set for him. We know that June 27th and school .
             recently being over tells us that the story is set in the beginning of summer. Given the .
             outcome of "The Lottery- Patrick Shaw writes, "Some commentators have connected .
             "The Lottery- with ancient vegetation myths "the pagan celebration of the end of winter .
             and the revival of plants."" Shaw goes on to say, "The life-death 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 Warner says "Used to be a saying about .
             Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed .
             chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery- (Jackson 143).
             .
             The second most important role of a literary setting is where the story takes place. .
             Jackson writes, "The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post .
             office and the bank- leaving the reader to assume this is a small town (138). There is no .
             mention of a courthouse or sheriffs office, which is usually in the center of a town. Also, .
             the only mention of holidays is that of Halloween, not Christmas or Thanksgiving which .
             most people celebrate. Halloween's origins can be traced back to as far as 2000 years .
             ago. It was celebrated by ancient Celtics and was then called Samhain. The Celts .
             celebrated their New Year on November 1st and believed that on October 31st the living.
             and the spirit of the dead were intertwined.