The Lottery

Who is the author of "The Lottery?"

• Shirley Jackson

• Michael Jackson

• Shirley Temple

• Annie Johnson

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This story was published during an era in American history referred to as "The Red Scare." This was a time when many American citizens were fearful of and hateful towards which group?

• Redheads

• College kids

• Communist

• Bears

Answer explanation

The "red" in Red Scare refers to Soviet Russia and the Communist regime. Communism, if you remember, is a political system that many believe "opposes" or challenges American democracy.

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True or False: "The Lottery" takes place in a small American town.

• TRUE

• FALSE

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True or False: "The Lottery" takes place in the future.

• TRUE

• FALSE

"The Lottery" is a short story that is considered an allegory. Which of the following is the definition of allegory? An allegory is...

• a political cartoon

• a dark, depressing story

• any creative work that can be interpreted as having a hidden meaning.

• when you cannot eat certain foods because it makes you very sick.

Answer explanation

Political cartoons are considered allegories, but there are more examples of allegory. "The Lottery," as was stated in the question, is a short story, and it is considered an allegory.

Often, allegories are written in the genre of dystopia--in which we typically see dark, depressing stories. But, again, this is not a limitation for allegory. Many allegories are "kid-friendly," like the story of The Tortoise and the Hare.

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All of the answers below are elements of dystopian fictions. However, not all of these aspects are seen in "The Lottery." Which element is NOT part of this dystopian story?

• Loss of Individuality

• Technological Control

• Government Control

• Survival

Answer explanation

Because this story is set in the past, we do not see any technology or attempts at controlling people with technology.

Which of the following is NOT a character in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery?"

• Mr. Hutchinson

• Old Man Warner

• little Dave

• Farrah Ahmedi

Answer explanation

You might remember Farrah Ahmedi from "The Other Side of the Sky," but she is not in this story.

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True or False: The townspeople in "The Lottery" participate in the lottery because it is important to their values and holds great significance in their lives.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

The townspeople in "The Lottery" are very detached from the whole tradition. Can you remember details from the story that support this?

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The words tradition and ritual share the same denotation--which means they mean the same thing! Still, these words have different connotations--which means they evoke different feelings.

Which word carries a more religious connotation?

• TRADITION

• RITUAL

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In your opinion (there is no right or wrong!) do you believe the characters in the story participate in the lottery as a tradition or a ritual? Explain.

Sentence Starter:

I believe the characters in "The Lottery" participate in a (tradition/ritual) because...

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