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Charlotte DAmbra

Lisa McAlister

ENG 112-103

June 16, 2017

Unfolding the Creases of Tradition: The Analysis of the Lottery

Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery, the practice of tradition is examined and how

closely societies follow traditions. The story takes place during an unknown time period in a

village that occupies about 300 people. The village takes one day out of the year to participate in

this lottery where the villagers randomly draw to see who will be stoned to death. Jackson uses

many literary tactics to illustrate the superficial and deep meanings of this story. Jackson uses

foreshadowing, a suspenseful plot, and the theme of family and family names to portray how

societies can follow traditions and rituals without really understanding the consequences of them.

Jackson uses foreshadowing to give the readers inklings of clues about events that have

not yet happened. For example, even though the readers do not find out until the end that Tessie

Hutchinson is the one who picked the black dot, Jackson uses foreshadowing to tell the readers

before that. Tessie clean forgot what day it was and was the only one to arrive late (Jackson).

When Mr. Summers says, "Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie," this

was foreshadowing because since she does die, the village and her family will have to get one

without her (Jackson). Additionally, at the beginning of the story, Jackson uses such intricate

detail to describe what the day was like: The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with

the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was

richly green (Jackson). The use of words such as fresh, blossoming and richly green are

lively words that are used to describe life and growth. This is the complete opposite of what the
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story is about. She uses this to foreshadow the plot twist at the end of the story. Even though

their surroundings might seem alive and well, it is not the same for the actual villagers.

Not only does Jackson use foreshadowing in her story, she also uses a suspenseful plot to

create a powerful conclusion that emphasizes the true meaning of the lottery. Readers do not

know the true meaning and outcome of the lottery until the very last paragraph. Jackson spends

a lot of time describing the lottery just enough for the audience to understand what is going on in

the moment, but also just enough where she can withhold the main point of the plot. She

describes numerous parts of the lottery such as that the whole lottery took less than two hours,

The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago and the black box now resting

on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner was born, Because so much

of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of

paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations (Jackson). The

readers learn crucial history of the lottery, but are still left asking questions. Even when the

lottery starts and the names are called, the only thing the villagers say is, Who is it? and

Who's got it? and then someone finally says, It's Hutchinson. It's Bill (Jackson). Jackson

still does not share what it is until the very end though. She does this to emphasize her main

theme that people do not realize the consequences of thoughtlessly adhere to these rituals. The

whole time reading the story, the readers really do not expect the ending and the foreshadowed

details are often looked over. Jackson is showing the audience what happens when you do not

pay attention to details. The villagers believe that without this lottery they'll be wanting to go

back to living in caves like wild ones, and that this lottery lets the villages vent out this

wildness. She proves this with foreshadowing and by utilizing a suspenseful plot.
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In a like manner, Jackson also uses the theme of family to depict the true meaning of

tradition in societies. Family is very important to the process of the lottery because in the story it

states, There were the lists to make up--of heads of families, heads of households in each

family, members of each household in each family (Jackson). This is how the lottery was set up.

The head of each household drew the slip of paper for his or her family which gives some order

to randomness of the lottery. These family bonds are what Jackson uses to disguise the twist

ending of the story. However, Jackson also uses family to show the negative consequences of

aimlessly serve the rituals of the lottery and in general society. Family ties and connections were

so important up until Tessie Hutchinson picked the slip that determined her fate. Her whole

family disregarded their relationships and gathered up stones to throw at her, someone even

gave little Davy Hutchinson few pebbles (Jackson). This shows that the lottery can make these

families turn against each other. After growing up with unconditional love with their mothers,

fathers, siblings, etc., the villagers still put the lottery over this love and affection that families

share.

Additionally, the naming process Jackson uses can be used as hints theoughout the story.

She uses last names such as Allen. Anderson. Bentham. Clark. Delacroix. Dunbar, and many

more to represent each family (Jackson). However, the only first names Jackson uses in the story

are Joe Summers, Steve Adams, Janey Dunbar Bill Hutchinson and Tessie Hutchinson. Since

Mr. Adams was the first to draw, this scene was used to represent the beginning of this cruel

process. Janey was used because she was the only woman to draw since a wife draws for her

husband (Jackson). Bill and Tessie were brought into the story because they were the family

that was chosen. Bill was the one to originally pick for his family and then Tessie was the one to
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draw the slip with the black dot meaning she was the one chosen to be stoned. These names and

families are what make up the framework of the lottery.

The short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson seems like a very superficial story, but

actually has a lot of deeper meanings to it. Jackson uses a lot of literary devices throughout her

story to portray meaningful, useful, and relatable themes. Many of her themes can be compared

to issues of todays news. Tessie Hutchinson was an innocent victim of this lottery. Even though

this was a random act, Jackson uses foreshadowing to show her readers clues as to what the

ending will be. Not only does Jackson utilize foreshadowing, but also having a suspenseful plot,

themes of family, and the naming process were ways to communicate to her readers the negative

affects of blindly complying to these murderous rituals, traditions, and habits in this certain

village and in overall society of this day and age.

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Work Cited

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. New York, 1948.