The Lottery is a short story written by Shirley Jackson. The story takes place in a small town where the residents hold a lottery each year. The winner of the lottery is then stoned to death by the other residents. The story focuses on the setting of the town and how it contributes to the events that take place.
The town in The Lottery is a small, isolated community. The residents are all related to each other and have lived in the town for generations. The town is surrounded by farmland, and the only way to get to the outside world is by a dirt road. The town has no schools or churches, and the only store is a general store that sells basic supplies. The residents of the town are all very close-knit and rely on each other for support.
The setting of The Lottery plays a significant role in the story. The small town setting contributes to the sense of isolation and paranoia that the residents feel. The town is also very rural, which means that there is little to do there.
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, is an excellent example of a storyteller using a setting to create a sense of safety and stability for her listeners. From the beginning, she gives the reader a feeling of security and calmness. It opened with “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the
The lottery is held on June 27th every year in the small town of Blackbury Jambs. The townspeople gather in the square, which is at the center of the town. The square is surrounded by businesses and houses, which all have white picket fences. The people within the town are close-knit and know one another well. The town is described as “a small village of about three hundred people” with “fifty white houses and a church” (Jackson 2).
The description of the town makes it seem like a typical American town, which is what Jackson wants her readers to think. This creates a false sense of security for the reader, as they know that something is not quite right, but they are unsure of what it is. The peacefulness of the setting allows Jackson to build suspense and tension for her readers.
The lottery is held in the town square, which is also the center of the town. The square is described as “a calm and cheerful place” with a “lawn of green grass” and “a few trees” (Jackson 2). The trees provide shade for the people who gather for the lottery, and the lawn is mowed regularly. The square is also surrounded by white picket fences, which create a sense of community.
The Lottery is set in a typical American town on a summer day. The setting, which Shirley Jackson takes great pains to establish, is the Oktoberfest grounds. She gives the reader a sense of comfort and stability from the start. It starts off, “clear and bright, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day
To begin, she tells the reader that the story takes place on an early summer morning. This helps in providing a focus of the typicality of this small town, a normal rural community. She also mentions that school has just recently let out for summer break, which of course allows the children to run around at that time of day. Furthermore, she describes the grass as “richly green and “the flowers were blooming profusely. These descriptions of the surroundings give the reader a serene feeling about the town.
The townspeople are later described as “going about their ordinary business. The language Jackson uses supports the idea that this is an everyday occurrence, in a commonplace small town. The people go about their days normally, without worry or concern.
Toward the end of The Lottery, the mood begins to change as tension builds. The black box is brought out and “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset tradition. The box was made of blackened wood, with a hinged lid. It was stained and scratched and weather-worn. The villagers all agreed that it was a dull looking box.” The description of the box is important, as it becomes clear that it is not a normal object. The black box is ominous and foreshadows the dark events that are to come. The dullness of the box represents the darkness that is about to overtake the townspeople.
Jackson uses setting to great effect in The Lottery, providing a backdrop for the events that unfold. The peacefulness of the early summer morning is in stark contrast to the violence that takes place later in the day. The setting allows the reader to see how easily tradition can trump common sense, and how quickly people can turn on each other. The Lottery is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it, and the setting is a big part of why.
Because the story’s beginning and end are combined, certain elements become apparent that would not be noticed in isolation. The location of the square “between the post office and the bank” demonstrates the town’s diminutive character, since everything concentrates around or near to it and it serves as a major setting for the remainder of the narrative, with
The black box, which everyone in the town owns a part of, is brought out and set in the center of the square. The way that the people treat the black box with such reverence and take care to keep it polished adds to the sense that this lottery is far more important than any other event that takes place in this town. The fact that everyone owns a part of the black box, and yet nobody knows what is inside it, creates a sense of mystery and suspense.
The use of “lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” could be interpreted as a way of saying that the winner of the lottery will have a prosperous harvest, which would be greatly beneficial since farming is the main occupation in this small town. The lottery is said to be a “happy occasion” and “a time of gaiety,” which seems to be in direct contrast with the suspense and mystery that has been building up throughout the story.
