Shirley Ardell Mason

In “The Lottery”, many characters reveal selfishness when they plead for their lives to be spared and the moment they are guaranteed safety, they become the exact people they previously feared. The community all huddle together, talking in hushed voices and hiding amongst each other, in fear that they would be the chosen one. While waiting for the ritual’s results, one whispers, “‘I hope it's not Nancy,’ and the sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd,” (Jackson 6). The gathering…

In the short story, “The Lottery”, Mr. Summers is a very powerful, but friendly man. He seems to have more time on his hands than others in this small community, despite the fact that he runs the local coal mine. His demeanor towards this particular event is somewhat lackluster. Mr. Summers is seen as a likable man because of the way he speaks with others. Before the event takes place, he makes small talk with the other gentleman nearby. He is also head of other events in the village such as…

In the stories “The Lottery” and “The Interlopers” the authors Shirley Jackson and Saki use pacing, structure of text and mood to build suspense. Through the use of pacing, the authors are able to develop their stories and cause suspense for the surprise endings of their stories. The use of pacing creates tension in stories and lets the author’s emphasize certain features of their book. From the very first sentence in the book “The Lottery” the author sets the pacing of the book for the reader…

poem “First they Came”. “The Lottery” By: Shirley Jackson is about a tradition in a small village with about 300 people on June 27. Everyone in the village gets a paper slip and if it has a black dot on it you get stoned by the village and die. “First they Came” By: Martin Niemoller is about an anti-Nazi who was not taken at first by the Nazis but is later taken by them after not speaking out for others before he was taken. Both “The Lottery by: Shirley Jackson and “First they Came” by Martin…

Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery,” is about a village of three hundred people, taking their chances in a ritualistic drawing. Jackson writes the story in third person, to show emphasis on all of the characters that are included. Consequently, Jackson shows the irony of the Lottery ceremony in this village, since it isn’t to win money or a prize; it is to win your fate of your life by being stoned to death. By this means, it is apparent that Tessie Hutchinson was the one who suffered a…

“The Lottery” Essay When people hear the word lottery, they think of receiving a prize. Lotteries are based on chance, and it could be used for a special school program, a prize, or of course, money. This is not the case in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. A small town conducts a lottery every year in the summertime to sacrifice a member of the community for the well being and prosperity of the town. This tradition completely disgraces its title. In the story, Jackson uses matter-of-fact…

Blind obedience is a huge theme that Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” revolves around. In her short story, Jackson presents a village in which an annual lottery is held on the 27th of June. Instead of receiving something rewarding, the “winner” is actually the loser and is stoned by the community. The story reflects on the brutality and underlying American values and how we are so susceptible to control and authority. Through the symbols presented in this short story, the reader better…

“The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, is a short story about an annual tradition practiced by the villagers of a small town. On a warm day in late June, villagers gather in the square to participate in a lottery run by Mr. Summers. The children arrive first and begin collecting stones. Mr. Summers calls various men come forward to a black wooden box to take their slips of paper. Once every man has chosen, Mr. Summers allows people to open the paper and see who has been selected. It is Bill…

The two short stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner share some similarities and also have some differences. “The Lottery” is about a mysterious and ultimately shocking event that happens annually in an unknown town. “A Rose for Emily” is about a recently deceased woman named Emily who has not had the best life, with a plot twist at the end. A few similarities between the two stories include the mood, the concept of tradition, the presence of death,…

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story that takes place in the warm morning of June 27th in a small town of a couple hundred people, and it describes an annual and traditional event in the town. The event known as “The Lottery” is to sacrifice the winner to death using victimization and cruelty justifying these acts as a tradition. Even though, there are many point of view and interpretations about what this short story carry out, this section is rich and diverse concerning symbolism,…