Shirley Jackson The Lottery Analysis

497 Words2 Pages
People often find that traditions are hard to change. The older generation tend to stick with their old ways while the younger generation can commit to change. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson (the writer) approaches the subject of lottery gradually. There were a few clues to foreshadow about what the lottery for these people were like. The children were recently set free from school giving them freedom and liberty but it “sat uneasily on most of them” and “tended to gather together quietly”. Children would usually be laughing and shouting with joy when given freedom but they were not. There must be something the children are dreading in their midst. This is also the same with the men who are also gathering together. “Their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed.”…show more content…
He set down a black box on a stool. “The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool. Shirley wanted to keep the idea of the black box as something bad hidden so she had the villagers edging away from the stool and obscure the reader’s conclusion about what the villagers are really afraid of. When the postmaster needed help steadying the box, “there was a hesitation before two men.” There were slips of paper in each box. While drawing slips of paper, Mr. Adams was talking to Old Man Warner who was the oldest man in their village. “They do say that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery.” Old Man Warner scoffed at the idea. “Pack of crazy fools. Listening to young folks., nothing’s good enough for them. “There’s always been a lottery.” Old Man Warner stood his ground in keeping the old custom. Each villager got a slip of paper. Every single slip was blank except for Mrs. Hutchinson. Hers had a black dot on it. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use
Open Document