Foreshadowing In The Lottery

“The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it” (Twain). The Lottery begins during the summer. A small, seemingly normal, town is gathering to throw the annual “Lottery”. In the end, the townspeople—children included—gather around and stone the winner to death, simply because it was tradition. The story reveals how traditions can become outdated and ineffective. “I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the story 's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives” (Jackson). As humans develop as a race, their practices should develop with them. Shirley Jackson develops the theme

Foreshadowing is first used when the children are collecting stones. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson). The collection of stones seems like simple child 's play, but is a slight hint towards the rest of the story. “The story opens with a scene of small children gathering stones . . . These are chilling foreshadowings of what is to come” (Mazzeno). Although the children look innocent, it is later revealed that they are having fun while gathering rocks to murder a member of their community and a mother. The names of the characters in the story also foreshadow the murder of the winner. “The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three- legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it” (Jackson). The names foreshadow the “Graves” that will be following “Summer”, the season the story takes place during. “‘Graves’ signifies the notion of death that runs through the tale” (Mazzeno). Jackson uses foreshadowing very little and very subtly. Even when she does use foreshadowing, it is nearly impossible to actually recognize it before knowing about the murder of Tessie. Jackson tricks the reader into believing that the town is innocent, and modern. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer

One example of irony from is a quote from Old Man Warner. “Next thing you know, they 'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while” (Jackson). Old Man Warner is defending the tradition of the lottery after being told that other towns are leaving the tradition behind. He is saying that because the towns want to give up the lottery, they might as well go back to living in caves. The irony is in the fact that he is the one defending an outdated tradition, while they are moving on to newer, less barbaric things. Also, Old Man Warner is referencing to cavemen, who would live in caves and be barbaric. “Although Mrs. Adams offers some hope when she says that ‘some places have already quit lotteries,’ Old Man Warner makes it clear that to do so would be the same as ‘wanting to go back to living in caves’” (Wilson). The irony is that Old Man Warner is the one committing barbaric crimes, like stoning people to death. The last example of foreshadowing in “The Lottery” is the casualness of the murder, or “tradition”. One would expect that in a civilized, modern town, murder would be looked down upon greatly, and even if they still did carry out this tradition, they would see it as necessary evil, yet in “The Lottery”, the characters see nothing wrong with the murders. “The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and