I also believe they are vital necessities in the story because they are taught and expected to carry the traditions.įor instance, “someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles” so that he will then be able to participate in the stoning of his own mother. I think these children symbolize perceived states of happiness in the story. Jackson makes it easy for us to imagine their “boisterous play” and the children are described in depth. Although it is implied that the abundance of their harvest depends wholly on the cruel act of stoning a human being to death, there is evidence that not all in the community agree with the ritual.Ĭhildren are an important focus in “The Lottery”. The abundance of their harvest supposedly depended upon their performing the ritual of the lottery. “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” used to be a saying heard in that town. This is because the ritual performed in the story is supposed to have an effect on the harvest. The men in “The Lottery” are “speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes”. This can be proven by the ancient, black box used for the lottery and the significance of farming for the community.įarming is also the only known way of life because of tradition. It is very apparent that tradition is very coveted in this small, simple town. The setting covers the very ritualistic and brutally violent traditions such as the stoning of Mrs. However, the pleasant description of the setting creates a façade within the story. Everyone is coming together for what seems to be an enjoyable, festive, even celebratory occasion. In addition, the description of people and their actions are very typical and not anomalous.Ĭhildren play happily, women gossip, and men casually talk about farming. This provides a positive outlook and lets the reader relax into what seems to be a comfortable setting for the story.
Shirley Jackson also seems to stress the beauty of the day and the brilliance of nature. She also describes that school has just recently let out for summer break, letting the reader infer that the time of year is early summer. The time of day is set in the morning and the time of year is early summer. This is important to get the reader to focus on what a typical day it is in this small town. To begin, Shirley Jackson tells the reader what time of day and what time of year the story takes place. The story begins with the establishment of the setting. In addition, the theme that we learn of at the end leads us to think of where the sanity of some human beings lies. However, this description of the setting foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to come. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a story in which the setting sets up the reader to think of positive outcomes. The Lottery In many stories, settings are constructed to help build the mood and to foreshadow things to come.
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