The setting of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is one of the most ironic aspects of the story. The lottery is supposed to be a tradition in the town, something that brings the community together and is celebrated each year. However, the actual lottery is anything but pleasant. It’s a brutal event in which one person is chosen to be killed.
The irony lies in the fact that the setting of the story – a small town with close-knit residents – is what makes it possible for such a barbaric tradition to continue. The residents are so close-knit that they’re willing to ignore the horrific consequences of the lottery in order to preserve their community’s traditions.
The mood created by Shirley Jackson in the opening of The Lottery is one of peace and calm. This environment also creates an image in the mind of the reader, an image of a typical town on a summer day. Furthermore, Shirley Jackson utilizes The Lottery’s setting to foreshadow an ironic conclusion. First, Shirley Jackson establishes the setting in her novel The Lottery. She tells the reader what time of day and year the story is set, as well as when it takes place.
The lottery is an annual tradition that the townspeople look forward to. The author also takes the time to describe the characters in the story. The villagers are all “respectable” people who seem to have nothing but good in their lives. The townspeople go about their business, with no sense of what is going to happen. The tension slowly builds as Shirley Jackson describes the drawing of the lot and how it is such a big deal to the townspeople. The irony begins to set in when Mrs. Hutchinson draws the marked black dot on her paper.
The lottery has been taking place for years, and no one has ever drawn this particular slip of paper. Mrs. Hutchinson realizes this too late, as she is already being stoned to death by her fellow townspeople. The irony of the setting is that the small town that seems so normal and peaceful is actually a place where villagers are willing to kill one of their own in the name of tradition. The author uses the setting to create tension and to foreshadow the tragic ending of The Lottery.
The time of year is early summer, and the time of day is determined in the morning. She also informs us that school has just ended for summer vacation, implying that the season is early summer. The author describes the town as that of any typical rural community, noting that it was “like any other.” She goes on to describe the grass as “richly green” and “flowers were flowering profusely,” giving a calming sensation to the reader about the town.
The townspeople are also described as being “normal” people. The lottery is not conducted in a specific location but “in the square” (196). The square is the most central location in the town and is surrounded by businesses and homes. The fact that the lottery is not conducted in a specific place, but in the most central location in the town, gives the impression that it is an event that is important to the community. The irony of The Setting in The Lottery is that despite the seemingly normal setting of the town and the lottery being an important event to the community, something sinister is about to take place.
The reader does not know what this sinister act is until Shirley Jackson reveals it in the last sentence of the story. The act that is about to take place is the lottery being won by someone. The reader is led to believe that the lottery is a positive event and that the winner will be congratulated and rewarded. However, the true irony of The Setting in The Lottery is that the person who wins the lottery is stoned to death.
The townspeople are willing to commit this heinous act because they believe that it is necessary in order to ensure good luck for the rest of the year. The setting in The Lottery creates a sense of normality and community spirit, while also containing an undercurrent of darkness and violence. The irony of The Setting in The Lottery is one of Shirley Jackson’s most masterful strokes in creating a story with multiple layers of meaning.
The work’s description, further on in the South Carolina case study, says it all: -> Furthermore, these descriptions make the reader feel at ease about the environment because they appear to believe nothing wrong exists in this charming hamlet. Shirley Jackson describes the community as a whole in her opening paragraph. The location of the square is specified in the opening sentence, when she establishes it “in front of the post office and bank.” She provides perspective on where things are positioned “between” (196)
The second paragraph, Shirley Jackson talks about the people in the town and their “Sunday faces” (196). The use of this phrase connotes that the people in the town are normal, everyday people. The phrase Sunday faces also foreshadows the tragic event to come. The third paragraph is important in that it introduces Mrs. Hutchinson who is one of the main characters in the story.
The most important aspect of this paragraph is that Mrs. Hutchinson has to run an errand for her husband. This gives Mrs. Hutchinson an opportunity to be away from her house and not be home when “the drawing” happens. The fourth paragraph is significant because it talks about Mr. Summers, who is the man responsible for conducting “the drawing.”
The use of the phrase “the drawing” is ironic because it sets up the events that will happen to Mrs. Hutchinson later in the story. The fifth paragraph introduces Mr. Graves, who is one of the townspeople. The most important thing about this paragraph is when Jackson writes, “Graves made a little joke and Mr. Summers smiled” (197). The use of the word “smiled” is ironic because it foreshadows the events that will happen to Mrs. Hutchinson later in the story.
The sixth paragraph talks about the children in the town and how they are excited for “the drawing.” The use of the phrase “the drawing” is once again ironic because it sets up the events that will happen to Mrs. Hutchinson later in the story. The seventh paragraph is important because it talks about the lottery ticket and how Mrs. Hutchinson has to get one for her husband.
The most important thing about this paragraph is that Mrs. Hutchinson is the only one in the town who doesn’t know what the lottery is. The eighth paragraph introduces Mr. Martin, who is one of the townspeople. The most important thing about this paragraph is when Jackson writes, “Martin said he hoped his number would come up” (197). The use of the phrase “his number would come up” is ironic because it sets up the events that will happen to Mrs. Hutchinson later in the story.
