Old Traditions, Cruel Fates: An Analysis of 'The Lottery'

Humanities Shocking Short Story Tessie Hutchinson was chosen to be to be killed June 27th for the sake of an old tradition. “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson demonstrates an extra unordinary interpretation of what she defines as a lottery. The lottery is usually a time when someone is rewarded or loses money not a time for someone to lose a life. In a small village populated by 300, each family’s last name is taken into account and put into the black box. This box is significant as it has continued to exist throughout the many years this tradition has made it through. Once there is declared a winner, chosen by chance, they will get stoned to death. Villager’s lives are then continued until the next year. Communicated well in this reading is the style, tone, and theme as well as a sense of

In description it is set off as beautiful, something described for romantic scene. However, the tone then escalates to an anxious setting as the villagers arrive to the scene. The greed to live is taken into action as the citizen’s hope that it is not them. It continues this way until the Hutchinson’s are chosen and they are to choose on family member. The author tone turns solemn because someone’s officially going to be chosen to be stoned to death. Tessie then falls onto her death which results to a morbid tone as author chooses a straightforward description: “‘It isn’t fair, is isn’t right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (Jackson 222). Jackson worked towards a less detailed approach towards the end of the reading. Her original descriptive language stated in the beginning is no longer present. Jackson’s tone also works well with the theme uses repetitive teaching about everyone being