Shirley Jackson’s 'The Lottery' is considered one of the most thought provoking stories since it leaves the reader with an unforgettable experience as the narrative offers a plot twist. The story begins so innocently with the reader not knowing what to expect only to realize the narrative’s plot at the very end. The author applies various literary devices, including irony and symbolism, to come up with a captivating story. In this short story, irony is a dominant literary device because the narrative delivers an ending that is totally different from the one the reader might initially expect. The ending of the story leaves the readers dumbfounded as it is hard to come to grips with a day that starts so lovely and ends on a tragic note. A closer
…show more content…
To begin with, the reader envisages that since a lottery is supposed to be a positive thing in the society where one ucky winner hits the jackpot, it end up one of the most horrific acts of the story because the lottery turns out to be stoning ritual. The end is dramatically ironical because ther is no prize to be won but a life to be lost much to the raders’ surprise. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the author’s use of irony as a lierary device at the end of the story is through the character of Tessie Hutchinson. She comes out as one of the villagers who are too eager to participate in this ironic ‘lottery’ only to end up as its …show more content…
The scene setting is that of two men holding a discussion on a certain town that has done away with the tradition of performing the lottery. This makes him say that the next thing to happen to a village like that is that its people will want to g back and start living in caves again ith nobody willing to work anymore. This is ironic in that he is so stuck in the traditional ways of retaining the lottery while other villages were progressing leaving behind the lottery tradition. It also comes out as ironic because the lottery is a barbaric ritual comparable to the savage living of cave dwellers. The author splendidly utilizes Warner’s character to portray the irony contained in the uncivilized lottery tradition that has been going on for ages without any of the villagers questioning or rebelling against
To begin with, the reader envisages that since a lottery is supposed to be a positive thing in the society where one ucky winner hits the jackpot, it end up one of the most horrific acts of the story because the lottery turns out to be stoning ritual. The end is dramatically ironical because ther is no prize to be won but a life to be lost much to the raders’ surprise. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the author’s use of irony as a lierary device at the end of the story is through the character of Tessie Hutchinson. She comes out as one of the villagers who are too eager to participate in this ironic ‘lottery’ only to end up as its …show more content…
The scene setting is that of two men holding a discussion on a certain town that has done away with the tradition of performing the lottery. This makes him say that the next thing to happen to a village like that is that its people will want to g back and start living in caves again ith nobody willing to work anymore. This is ironic in that he is so stuck in the traditional ways of retaining the lottery while other villages were progressing leaving behind the lottery tradition. It also comes out as ironic because the lottery is a barbaric ritual comparable to the savage living of cave dwellers. The author splendidly utilizes Warner’s character to portray the irony contained in the uncivilized lottery tradition that has been going on for ages without any of the villagers questioning or rebelling against