1. The Lottery
Shirley Jackson, 1948

2. Three Words to Describe Shirley Jackson
Eccentric
Non-Conformist
Witch

3. Eccentric
Shirley Jackson did not have a good relationship with her mother because her own mother saw her as “eccentric.” They fought often and her mother was verbally abusive about her daughter’s differences of opinion on society. Her mother was a socialite, and did not validate her daughter’s eccentricity. It was seen as a negative, not a positive in her mother’s eyes.
Thanks goodness she did not listen to her mother’s opinion about her personality (although it did leave her with a low self esteem)
Jackson was a free spirit and used her writing to voice her feelings—as weird as some believed them to be

4. Non-Conformist
Gender was of big debate for Jackson, especially because of her mother.
Jackson, however, did not conform to any of society’s “rules and regulations” about her gender
What do you notice about gender roles in “The Lottery”? How/Where are they challenged?

5. Witch
Many of the rumors in Jackson’s town revolved around whether she was a witch or not.
Jackson had a strong belief in witchcraft, the supernatural and magic which is present in a lot of her writing.
Did Jackson incorporate witchcraft, rumors, and/or the supernatural that you noticed in “The Lottery”?

6. “The Lottery”: Historical Context
1948 America: post-World War II state of mind
United States as a “power house” after the war; however, World War II had long-lasting effects on our nation and our people who fought
At the same time the United States has gained power, the Soviet Union (Russia) is rising in power
Communism becomes threat to American freedom and identity (The Red Scare) according to our government
Do you notice any evidence of the “Red Scare” in “The Lottery”?
Jackson wrote this during the height of the Communistic threat
What does this information have to do with Vietnam? (Hint: Why did the American government start the war in Vietnam? What was their reasoning? *Think back to class discussions!