The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

The Lottery Shirley Jackson lived in and raised her famiy in a village similar to the one she portrays in her story. On the day she wrote “The Lottery”, she had wheeled her toddler in a stroller through the village to complete a number of errands. After pushing the stroller up a hill to her home, Jackson sat down and wrote the story in two hours. About that day, Jackson said, “Perhaps the effort of that last fifty yards up the hill put an edge to the story…”

The Lottery Please turn to page 25 in your textbooks. As you read, pay attention to details that reveal the purpose of the lottery and the villagers’ reactions to it. Note and questions you have.

Inferences (Lines 1-10) We, as readers, can draw conclusions about setting, characters, and plot based on information and details in the text. We can make inferences by evaluating words and phrases in the selection. With your shoulder partner: Re-read the first paragraph and discuss what you can infer about the village and its people. (Be ready to share your answer with the class)

Tone (Lines 1-18) Tone is the attitude of the narrator toward the setting, characters, and the action of the story. Examples of tone include sarcastic, formal, informal, indifferent, serious, and humorous. Discussion: Describe the tone on page 25.

Analyzing Language (Lines 38-40) Passive voice is often used to remove the connection between the doer of the action and the action itself. Passive voice is being used in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Analyzing Character Development (Lines 40-53) Writers can develop characters in different ways. through dialogue direct description interactions with other characters indirect description Describe Mr. Summers based on his responsibilities and the way that others react to him.

Symbols and Theme (Lines 59-67) A Symbol is something that represents something else, such as an idea or theme. Sometimes writers use symbols to develop the main idea or theme of a story. Think about what the box might symbolize. Write down your ideas on this and cite evidence from the passage to support your argument.

Question 1 Lines 1-60 How does the author use foreshadowing to increase suspense in the first four paragraphs of the story? Provide specific examples and explain their connection to the story’s outcome.

Author’s choice using tension and surprise (Lines 85-104) Story pacing is how quickly or slowly the author moves the action along. Changes in pacing can also affect the story’s mood. Re-read the above lines. What is happening to the pace (is it slower or faster) and how is it affecting the overall mood of the story? Write the answer on your white board

Context clues (Lines 100-104) Words and phrases surrounding a word can be used to determine the meaning of a word. (This skill is extremely useful for the FSA reading… hint, hint) While there may be enough information within a sentence, sometimes the reader needs to look at a larger context, such as a paragraph or section of text in order to determine the meaning of a word. Re-read lines 100-104. What does it mean to talk interminably? Write the answer on your white board.

Colloquialisms (Lines 105-115) Colloquialisms in dialogue are used by writers to develop characters. Colloquialisms are regional expressions that sometimes are not standard English. On your white boards, write an example of a colloquialism in lines 105-115.

Analyzing details in the text (Lines 191-204) Sometimes the views of the characters may reveal the writer’s own viewpoint, possibly in support of the characters or by showing some sort of flaw in the characters’ view. With your shoulder partner: Determine how Old Man Warner feels about the lottery. Prove your case by using evidence from the text

Connotation and Denotation (Lines 300-306) A word’s denotation is the exact meaning found in the dictionary. The connotation of a word refers to the feelings or ideas associated with it. The connotative meaning of words that the author chooses can affect how readers understand setting, characters, and events. Select words with connotations that affect how the reader sees or understands an element of the story. Be ready to share your answer.

Analyzing author’s choice: tension and surprise (Lines 310-321) Situational irony is the difference between what the reader expects to happen and what actually happens. What expectation would the reader have about the lottery at the beginning of the story? At what point in the story did that expectation begin to change?

Question 2 Explain why Jackson waits until the end of the story to reveal the conflict—the purpose of the lottery. How would the story be less effective if the conflict were revealed earlier?

Question 3 At the end of the story, Mrs. Delacroix selects a huge stone and urges Mrs. Dunbar to hurry. Explain why this is ironic or unexpected. What important idea is brought out by this instance of irony?

Question 4 How would you describe the narrator’s tone through out the story? Identify words that convey this tone to readers.

Question 5 Do you find the narrator’s tone strange, or even shocking? Why? What theme about cruelty or injustice does this tone help communicate?

Writing Assignment