The Lottery Class Review

The Lottery Review
By Shirley Jackson

​Conflict

​Character vs. Society
Tessie Hutchinson eventually becomes the individual who questions and resists the community's blind adherence to a violent tradition.

​Character vs. Self
The townspeople struggle internally with their compliance, even if they outwardly conform to the ritual.

​Exposition

The story begins on a sunny summer morning in a small village. The setting is idyllic, and the townspeople are gathering in the square for an annual tradition. Jackson introduces the lottery as a long-standing ritual but doesn’t reveal its purpose, creating a sense of normalcy and community. There are subtle hints of unease, such as the children collecting stones.

​Inciting Incident

The inciting incident occurs when Mr. Summers arrives with the black box and officially begins the lottery. This moment marks the start of the event that drives the plot forward, transitioning the story from the calm, seemingly normal setting to the suspenseful and disturbing ritual that follows.

Multiple Choice

What does the black box symbolize in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson?

• The randomness of fate – The box represents how life or death is determined by chance in the lottery.

• Tradition and resistance to change – The box is old and worn, symbolizing the villagers’ blind adherence to outdated customs.

• The fairness of the ritual – The box ensures everyone has an equal chance of being chosen.

• Wealth and prosperity – The box is associated with the community's hope for abundance.

Rising Action

Tension builds as the townspeople discuss the lottery. There are more subtle hints of unease, such as the villagers' nervous conversations.

Mr. Summers calls for the ceremony to begin, and the process of drawing names from the black box begins. The slow, methodical nature of the lottery keeps the reader in suspense. During the ceremony, some question the lottery, while others defend it.

Climax

First, the Hutchinson family is narrowed down as the winning family. The climax occurs when the "winner" is revealed: Tessie Hutchinson. The moment she draws the slip of paper with the black dot is the turning point. Only when her family is called, then her own name does Tessie protest that the lottery is unfair, but the rules of the tradition are absolute...

Falling Action

The townspeople, including Tessie's own family and friends, prepare to carry out the ritual. The stones the children gathered earlier are distributed, and the villagers close in around Tessie. The story concludes with a clear, definitive ending: Tessie Hutchinson is stoned to death by the villagers as part of the lottery ritual. This ending leaves no ambiguity about what happens.

Resolution?

The story ends abruptly and shockingly as the villagers stone Tessie to death. The brutal conclusion reinforces the horror of blind adherence to tradition.

Is the conflict of this story resolved?

Irony...

The story ends with a shocking reveal: the lottery winner is neither lucky nor fortunate. This leaves readers with unanswered philosophical and thematic questions:

• Why do the villagers continue this tradition?

• What does the ritual symbolize?

• What is Jackson suggesting about conformity and societal norms?

Multiple Choice

What is the MAIN kind of irony that was present in The Lottery?

• Situational

• Dramatic

• Verbal -

  Sarcasm

• Verbal - Malapropism

Multiple Choice

What was the PURPOSE of the irony in The Lottery?

• Add Humor

• Build Suspense

• Convey a Theme

• Create an Allusion