The Role Of Irony In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Thousands of stories are written and published every year but only few become ingrained into millions of readers minds. What makes a story so memorable? For most good books and short stories, there is always a universal message or theme that draws interest and captivates an audience. Jackson’s “The Lottery” is no exception. “The Lottery” is celebrated as one of the most controversial and brilliant short stories of the 20th century. Using characters, symbols, and irony, “The Lottery” shares insight into the human condition; no matter how morally corrupt something might be, people will go along with anything that society or the community deems as the norm. To begin with, the speech and actions of the characters play an important role in the theme of “The Lottery”. What is interesting about the characters in “The Lottery” is that all the characters in the story are presented as normal, small town people. The characters are meant to represent the reader’s neighbors, friends, and family. The characters, much like the reader’s loved ones in real life, …show more content…
The lottery itself is full of irony. The lottery is held on a clear and sunny day, and conducted by a man named Mr. Summers (260). When people think of a lottery, they tend to think about prizes, not stones. It implies someone is going to win a prize, not lose their life. The irony in the story helps to set up the theme. It gives the reader a feeling that they have been deceived when the stones are thrown. The irony of the lottery is a mirror of how society deceives people. The characters think that their doing what their supposed to. Even Old Man Warner believes in the superstition, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (264). Nobody questions it, in fact the characters are so afraid to change that they drop the conversation when Mr. Summers talks about making a new box (261). The characters are deceived into believing that the lottery is