Literary Techniques Used In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson begins “The Lottery” by using specific details to develop the setting and mood of her story. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Jackson 134). This quote is just one example of the specific details she uses within her story. These details, however, give readers a false mind set of the plot; this story is not as appealing and desirable as the first sentence leads it to be. These specific details not only help develop the story but also give hints of foreshadowing, which helps build the suspense to the story. Mr. Summers, the mediator of the process, calls each head of each household in the village forward

to pull a slip of paper from a black wooden box. Once every head has had the chance to draw, they look at their paper simultaneously. Mr. Bill Hutchinson has drawn the “winning” piece of paper. His wife, Tessie Hutchinson, instantly begins protesting. Mr. Summers then places five slips of paper into the box and each member of the family draws. Mrs. Hutchinson draws the slip of paper originally drawn by her husband, indicating her to be the “winner”. The villagers begin to approach her with stones, and it becomes clear what the prize for the lottery really is: a stoning. The reader’s first impression becomes completely altered when the true prize of the lottery is revealed.
Many of the apparently harmless details throughout “The Lottery” hide but also foreshadow the violent end.

It is stated in the second paragraph, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix – the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy” – eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raid of other boys.” This is a quotation of how author Shirley Jackson uses specific details such as how to pronounce the Delacroix child’s name to hide the cruelty that is about to happen. The stacking of the stones seems like innocent play until the stones’ true purpose becomes

evident.
The other examples of foreshadowing are even more secreted and require more thinking to identify. Shirley Jackson points out in paragraph eight and nine that Mrs. Hutchinson has arrived late to the event, claiming that she forgot what day it was. When Mr. Summers noticed that Tessie Hutchinson has arrived late he points her out of the crowd and says cheerfully, “Thought we were going to have to get on without you.” This may seem like it points out the familiarity between the two characters, but Shirley Jackson uses this as an opportunity to set her character apart from the crowd, foreshadowing that her character will be a main character throughout.
Shirley Jackson has a creative way for building suspense.

The suspense felt throughout the story does not necessarily contribute to scariness but the unknown. The reader starts out with one impression of the story then it is dramatically altered within a few sentences. Jackson builds suspense in “The Lottery” by constantly withholding any clarification and does not reveal the true reason of the lottery until the ending. The author reveals much about the lottery throughout the story: the importance of the lottery, the rituals behind it, and the process of the event. But Jackson never tells what the lottery is about or any kind of purpose. Toward the ending she begins to expose that something is twisted when the lottery begins and the crowd becomes anxious, and she increases this feeling when Tessie protests her husband’s “winning” paper. She also gives a small clue when she says that the villagers “still remembered to use stones.” Even though she gave many clues, it was not until the final sentence the author explains everything. By covering up information until the last sentence, she builds the story’s suspense and creates a outrageous, shocking

conclusion.
Shirley Jackson uses many rhetorical devices in her story ranging from the use of specific details to foreshadowing. Both of these elements work together to develop the suspense of the story. Also, the author’s use of holding back information from the reader helps with the building of the suspense. The way that she keep information secretive was by surrounding foreshadowing elements with precise details, leading the reader to pay more attention to the details than the foreshadowing. This caused for a shocking ended which added the element of suspense.