The Use Of Irony In The Watchers And The Lottery

A thriller can be defined as “a work of fiction or drama designed to hold interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense.” While this is very true, there is one literary element that is or should be necessary when writing a thriller. There are two short stories that can be compared with each other in terms of the author’s use of a literary element known as irony. “The Watchers” by Florence Engel Randall and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson contain varying levels of irony that affect the overall thrill factor and the suspense of the story. The use of irony through a misleading title, the use of tone and the characters’ actions are important in order for a thriller to be effective. To begin, before reading a thriller, or any piece of literature for that matter, the first thing the reader sees is the title. By choosing a title that is ironic yet still relates to the story, the climax of the text …show more content…
The tone that is established in “The Watchers” is dark, more serious and the characters seem to be living in constant fear. Sally Milford says, “I never wait on a [subway] platform if I’m alone...just in case anyone is following me, I change at every other stop.” (Randall 3) Sally’s cautiousness hints the reader of a past or present danger. The cautious tone throughout the story gives insight to the reader of what might happen next. On the other hand, “The Lottery” has a much lighter and casual ironic tone for most of the story. Mrs. Hutchinson had reached her husband who “had been waiting [and spoke] cheerfully.” (Jackson 2) The way Mr. Hutchinson carries himself goes against the unmentionable horror of the ritual. The citizens of the village are well aware of what is to come. However, their blind allegiance to the ritual forces the people to accept it and it’s treated simply as a tradition that must be done