THE LOTTERY

1. THE LOTTERY SHIRLEY JACKSON What is a lottery?

2. VOCABULARY • Exploitation—use someone for profit • Fill in for—to take someone’s place • Assemble---gather together • A slip of paper—small piece of paper • Paraphernalia—personal things, something you need for an activity. • Reluctantly ---slow to do something because you don’t want to • Shabby--poorly dressed • Fade---lose color, freshness or strength • Reprimand----express disapproval (to a person) severely • Liberty--being free • Stuff—not important things • Stain—dirty, usually on clothes • Swear in---cause someone to take the oath of office • Make do with---to use something which is not what you want to use • Inevitable--will happen • Enthusiasm--strong feeling of admiration or interest

3. CHARACTERS • Small town family people. • Housewives, husbands, children. • Mr. Summers, who owns the coal company, and Mr. Graves, the postmaster. • Old Man Warner

4. SETTING • SMALL TOWN AMERICA Everyone knows everyone.

5. INTRODUCTION • The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. 1. Who participates in the lottery? 2. What do you think the atmosphere is on the day of the lottery, according to the first paragraph of the story?

6. Other hints… • Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. What other details do you learn about the town from this paragraph? Guess what the possible prize for the Lottery could be if it is held in all of the neighboring towns. My guess is:

7. THEMES • 1. It can be acceptable to have a person sacrifice for the greater good. 2. The story illustrates how difficult it is to give up a tradition, even when we know it is wrong. • 3. People can come up with reasons to do bad things. • 4. How brutal human beings are. We are shocked at the brutal killing of one person, but we kill millions for unclear reasons.

8. PLOT STRUCTURE

9. QUESTIONS • When does the lottery take place? • What can you say about the people of the town? • What role does Old Man Warner play? • The lottery is carried on by Mr. Summers, who owns the coal company, and Mr. Graves, the postmaster. What do the names and the objects hint at? • Usually a lottery is something good. When do you begin to suspect that, in this case, no one wants to “win” the lottery? • What is the “procedure” of the lottery? • What is the reaction of Old Man Warner to the fact that in the north village “they’re talking of giving up the lottery”? • What does the saying “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” hint at? • What does the story imply about traditions and ceremonies? • What does the story imply about religion? • What does the story imply about family loyalties? • What does the story imply about human nature?