the lottery

“The Lottery” is a chilling narrative of the darkness of the human heart and mind.

The story is set on a beautiful summer day, in a seemingly ordinary village. The townsfolk gather for a lottery, wherein the winner receives a prize most unusual: death.

Shirley Jackson makes powerful use of irony and symbolism. She describes the day as being euphoric and full of life, though it is in contrast with the atmosphere of the town and of the people gathered in the square. The lottery is officiated by Mr. Summers, whose name emphasizes the ultimate irony, as further seen when he is helped by the postmaster, Mr. Graves. It is also quite ironic that Mr. Adams, whose name suggests human feelings and desires and who was the first to bring up the topic of quitting the lottery, is also the one to first stone Tessie. The black box from which the townsfolk draw their slips of paper, is the symbol of death, as it ...