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.
No comments:
Post a Comment