Read The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson. Then answer the following questions.
1. What did you think was really happening when the story began?
People were nervous when the story first began, people were not nervous in a positive way which you would expect because it’s a lottery. In fact, people were nervous because they didn’t want to be chosen which implies that the “prize” is negative.
2. At what point did your view of the story begin to change? Explain.
The story began to change when the people reacted to their blank pieces of paper with Joy. It was also when Tessie didn’t want to be chosen as the lottery winner and kept exclaiming that “it wasn’t fair”.
3. How did the different characters react differently to the events and why? How does your view of these characters change at the end?
The children in the story seemed really into the whole lottery. They were preparing stones from the very beginning. People also seemed to enjoy stoning the lottery winner. In fact, people wanted to get big stones which really says a lot about their characters. In the beginning, it seemed like these people participating were innocent, however as the story progresses, they seem really sick.
4. What was the story really about? What was your reaction to the conclusion of the story?
The story was about people singling out someone in order to kill. The conclusion of the story was that Tessie was killed and people actually wanted to do it. The people doing it didn’t even have any remorse this was shown by Mrs. Delacroix who picked up a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands. These people wanted to kill her off, and they were delighted to do so.
5. Analyze Jackson’s plot. How did she successfully keep the reader unsure about what was really happening? What techniques might you be able to use in a story of your own that creates a surprise ending like this?
She creates suspense by using neutral words that are associated with a lottery. These words do not convey whether or not the reward of the lottery is good or not. Feelings such as being nervous are associated with a lottery because you don’t know what you get. Therefore she is able to keep the reader unsure about what’s really happening.
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