Sharline's Lottery Essay

Everything cannot be perfect

In Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery” the author uses foreshadowing to warn the reader how bad and surprising can be the lottery. Initially, Mrs. Jackson predict the tragic outcome in the story when the boys pick up the bunch of rock. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pocket full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones. Bobby and Harry Jones eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of other boys” (Jackson 28). Here the reader can see, the boys are choosing the stones. They all must choose a bunch of rock when it is lottery time. There are many people and they do not win the lottery because there is also worst ending with the lottery. In the summer when it is time to call on the lottery winner. They all know cannot live a life anymore. Next, the writer hints what is such to be unhoped at the middle of the story when they about to know who is the lottery winner. “they [the townspeople] stood together, away from the piles of stones in the corner, and their jocks were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed” (Jackson 28). They know that if someone wins the lottery between them, he or she will be killed by the people they have there. That is why the people do not want to win the lottery in the summer time. One person must win the lottery and they always worry about the lottery. They cannot laugh a lot for the lottery. Sometimes they smile with each other but not that much, because they should think about the lottery. Lastly, the author suggests the unexpected finish when they are worried to call on the lottery winner. “By now, all through the crowed there were men holding the small folded papers in their large hands, turning them over and over nervously” (Jackson 33). At this point the author uses the word nervously because in the summer time when they are going to announce the lottery, they worry about it. They do not want to win the lottery which has the worst ending in the world. They know they must die if they win the lottery in the summer. In Ms. Jackson’s short story “The Lottery”, the creator uses clues to inform the reader what unwelcomed thing can happen at the end of the lottery.  

Celeste's Lottery Essay

A Deadly Finale

In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” the author uses foreshadowing to warn the reader about the surprising outcome that the story has. Initially, Jackson gives clues about the unexpected conclusion when she describes the mood of the townspeople before the lottery started. “They [the townspeople] stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed” (Jackson 1). Here Ms. Shirley Jackson shows the way the people feel when they are joking before the lottery begins. The reader can even think that their jokes are meant to be like a pillow before the fall. They are trying to ignore what will happen and to make themselves think that everything will be fine, and that the fatality of the lottery will not reach them. Secondly, Ms. Jackson shows that nobody wants to win the lottery when Mr. Adams gets his ticket from the black box. “Then Mr. Adams reached into the black box and took out a folded paper. He held it firmly by one corner as he turned and went hastily back to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down at his hand” (Jackson 5). When the head of the Adams family gets a paper from the box and returns to where his family is, the audience can see that he stays away from them. He also is holding the paper in a way that shows that he does not want it. Mr. Adams knows how the lottery ends and he does not want to be responsible if something bad happens to him or his family. Finally, the writer foreshadows the terrible finale when the men have already chosen their papers. “By now, all through the crowd there were men holding the small folded papers in their large hands, turning them over and over nervously” (Jackson 6). At this point every man has a ballot in their hands and here the author shows how they feel about it, acting evasively as if they did not want to own the paper. Normally, when someone is participating in a lottery, it is excitement that is felt. But here instead they are nervous and scared, almost like they do not want to be there, because they know how the lottery ends. After looking at all this, now the readers know how the writer has predicted the tragic ending in “The Lottery.”

Lidia's Lottery Essay

Chance of Death

In Shirley’s Jackson, short story “The Lottery”, the author uses foreshadowing to warn the reader about a tragic outcome that the people of the town will face. Initially, Mrs. Jackson uses foreshadowing that the lottery is not going well when the people of the town stay apart from the amount of rocks. “They [the townspeople] stood together away from the piles of stone in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather that laughed” (Jackson 28). Here the author shows the town citizens are afraid of the mountain of pebbles in the bend. Usually their jokes are happy and loud, but they were anguished for who will win the lottery. The villagers know what is going to happen to the winner of the lottery that is not right. Continuing, here the author tries to give a clue about what is coming next when Mr. Graves carries a box with the lottery ballots. “The postmaster, Mr. Graves followed him, carrying a three-legged stool” (Jackson 29). At this point the reader can guess the mistake that is happening, just hear the name “Mr. Graves” that associate a tombstone. And his job of postmaster, that refer a delivery, such his name and his role, all together the significance is a delivery of death. Finally, Mrs. Shirley Jackson foretells the tragic outcome, when all the tickets are distributed to all the town citizens. “By now, all through the crowd there were men holding the small folded papers in their hands, turning them over and over nervously” (Jackson 33). Here Mrs. Jackson gives  the audience the big and final hint with a tense situation when all the community members were fearful and restless waiting for the result of the lottery. They already know the fatal end of the winner of the lottery. Mrs. Shirley Jackson predicts the tragic outcome by foretelling the awful luck of the winner of the lottery in her short story.

Katia's Lottery Essay

                                                              An Unexpected Tragedy

In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” the author uses foreshadowing to warn the reader about the story’s tragic outcome. To begin with, Mrs. Jackson gives a hint of the tragic end, when the townspeople are getting prepared to begin the lottery. “They stood together, away from the piles of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed” (Jackson 28). Here the audience, can notice how all the people of this village are acting in a sober mood; they are not happy or even a little bit excited just like is expected for one amazing event like a lottery. Also, the people do not want to be near the rocks that were over there, because they were scared of what could happen after and for what the stones would be used for. All this shows how strange is the situation and that something bad will happen. Next, Shirley Jackson suggests the unexpected outcomes of the events when she gives specific names to the characters in the story. “The postmaster, Mr. Graves followed him carrying a three-legged stool” (Jackson 29). The way that the writer puts the names of the characters is not normal; this foreshadows the possible bad events that can happen here. The name Graves reminds the reader to the gravestones that are in the cemetery, where the dead people are resting, which shows how someone could die soon. Also, the job of this man is to be a postmaster of the village, knowing his name and what this could foretell, it is probable that the author wants to show Mr. Graves as a type of person who delivers death to the individuals of the story because he helps to pick the names of the citizens. Lastly, the author clues the reader of the strange incidents when she shows the rejection of the people to the box. “The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool [ that they set the black box on], and …there was a hesitation before two men…came forward to hold the box steady on the stool” (Jackson 29). Here it is easy to realize how nervous the people of the village are acting. No one wants to be near the black box, or to go first to pick a paper, because inside is all they names and nobody wants to be elected. Also, they do not want to be near each other because they do not want to be near of the person who possibly could win. In a normal lottery all the citizens would be crazy to take their own names and obviously be the lucky person who win the lottery, but here the more far away they are from the box, the better they feel. After reading all this, the reader can see how Mrs. Jackson in her short story “The Lottery” uses hints to foretell the audience about the unexpected tragedy.