Preview

The Lottery Suspense Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
793 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Lottery Suspense Analysis
When you think about a lottery you automatically think, "Oh will they win money or a gift?" Well, in the story "The lottery" by Shirley Jackson it was completely the opposite of winning something. The author provoked lots of suspense and tension but wasn't the suspense you get when you are excited it's a scary suspense that builds up the tension. And why you suppose? Well, in this story the "lottery" there wasn't any winning of money or a gift, this story was about a sacrifice the people of the village did to get good luck on their crops and harvest of the year. Yes, I know strange right? There are culture and traditions behind this sacrifice. Well, the next paragraphs will be about how the author made suspense as well with the pacing of events throughout the story.

I first want to talk about the pacing of the event throughout the story because I believe this is what makes the story have suspense. When the story first starts there is a calm feeling saying the morning is warm and beautiful. The author starts the pace of the story slowly."The people of the village began to gather in the square" (Paragraph 1) The people of the village are slowly gathering for the lottery to make the sacrifice, but since they
…show more content…
When Tessie the one who got sacrifice was late to the event and she looked so certain and ready. When she was the one being sacrificed she then said: "It was fair!" When you have never gone through the experience you never know how fair or fair, it is until it's your turn to experience it and this is what the story taught me. The Lottery had extreme suspense and tension because first of all no one knows it's a sacrifice, but the author does give out clues and that's when suspense starts belting. I was shocked at the end of the story because thinking of a sacrifice is the last thing you think about when the story is called "The Lottery" by Shirley

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    At the beginning when the children were gathering stones, it had my mind spinning right off the bat. This form of foreshadowing was the first sign that let me to believe it is not the story I thought it would be when I read the title. However, everyone seemed to be carrying on with their everyday lives as if it was not the day of the lottery which is can be misleading. The black box also threw up a red flag. If this were a lottery as most of us would see it, I would think this box would be colorful and decorated and filled with excitement. This old, beat up black box led me to believe yet again that this story would not be ending the way I would have predicted.…

    • 513 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1.The dark ending was not a typically lottery but throughout the story methods of foreshadowing was used by the author, Shirley Jackson. Characters throughout the story fear the lottery nervously but the dark suspicions are confirmed when “Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers. "You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"”(Jackson 5). Tessie instead of being excited for winning the lottery is extremely against winning which confirms that the lottery is nothing to be excited about. Jackson begins the story picturing the town as a the children were playing around as if nothing horrible was about to happen.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Lottery, a well-known short story written by Shirley Jackson and was published in 1949. Shirley Jackson creates a story filled with lots and lots of foreshadows and symbolisms, these helps building up the tension within the reader mind to question the conclusion of the story. The main focal theme of The Lottery is the danger of blindly following tradition, the author used this theme as a mirror to reflect on the society. The Lottery is worth reading because the message Jackson used to portray the modern day society about its tradition, to question for its purpose and outcomes. Throughout the story the author used a variety of techniques to bring together the whole concept of the story, some of the techniques are foreshadowing, symbolism…

    • 127 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The horror that I felt when looking back upon this story, was only amplified by rereading it, knowing what the ceremony actually would entail. The unsuspecting reader begins the story thrown into a lovely summer seen in a quaint village. Details about children attending school, men and women chatting, lull the reader into contentment. Once the reveal is made, tiny, once insignificant details cast the story in completely new light, an awful one. This contrast between the relive happiness of the beginning, and the grimness at the end heightens the aspect of horror.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is set in a small New England town with a population of around 300 people. From tradition, towns all over, including this one, partake in a lottery or drawing of slips by family to pick who will b e sacrificed for success in the growing season. This novella is about the theme “fear affects the thoughts, ideas, and actions of others as well as the root of fear.” For instance, Shirley Jackson writes “There’s always been a lottery,” he said petulantly “some places have already quit lotteries,” Mrs. Adams said. “Nothing but trouble in that, “ Old Man Warner said stoutly.” (pg. 4) Old Man Warner fears the absence of the lottery when proclaiming: “Nothing but trouble in that”, he thinks that their entire town will…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses foreshadowing to hint that the villagers are most likely going to continue the tradition of the lottery. For example, Mrs. Adams says, The black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before old man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born “(Jackson).” People in the village will always continue the tradition of the lottery as long as they can. The members of the town will never replace the black box. Therefore, this quote shows how this town can not end this tradition, even if the villagers try.…

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In today’s blog, I’d like to talk about some of my personal impressions about something that really shocked me at the beginning of the story, after reading the Lottery written by American famous female author Sherley Jackson. In the story, she depicts a small village in the mountain and the annual antiquated ritual there; every year, people are gathered at the square, and pick the lottery. It is a ritual for praying; it is not a ritual for praying. From the different word choices and settings Jackson used in the story, I can discover its astonish but approachable plots and ending, and reveal the façade of prolonging ritual.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This story gives the lottery a bad reputation. The first thing that comes to mind is winning a sum of money or goods. In the beginning, the story suggests that the people are going to draw for a prize. Instead they are drawing to see who will be stoned to death. This is part of the irony in the story along with the day is described as being a sunny summer day, flowers blossoming and the grass richly green. This suggests that a happy event is getting ready to take place. The people of the town are reluctant to give up the lottery. As everyone starts to gather in the town square there is talk how other towns have…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope it's not Nancy"; not every winner of a contest receives a favorable prize (Backpack Literature 242). When reading the beginning of the fictional short story The Lottery, the title leads the reader to assume that one of the characters in the story will become lucky. The author reveals the hidden theme towards the ending when the story’ true meaning becomes apparent. The author Shirley Jackson gives the reader subtle symbolic hints that the small New England town has a ritualistic nature. When the reader reaches the ending of The Lottery; all of Shirley Jackson’s signals begin to come together similar to puzzle pieces. The reader realizes the irony in the story because the winner of the annual…

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a story of an anticipated yearly event where the all the citizens of a small town gather together to participate in. The author gives the impression through the light-hearted dialogue among the characters the lottery leads to an event bringing its winner good fortune. As the fortune of the one chosen by the lottery drawing is revealed, it also shows a potential problem of the human character. “The Lottery” reveals when exposed to violence routinely people can become desensitized to the outcomes of such acts.…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    At first glance, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" seems like a shocking horror story meant to thrill the reader with an unexpected twist and create a sense of uneasiness. The lottery, at first, appears to be left up to chance, and the 'winner' is just one unlucky citizen of the village. However, if the reader takes on an analytical perspective while reading through this story, a common reference to ancient tradition surfaces. After considering the literary elements used, the underlying theme of barbarism in modern day religion comes to light. The black box atop the three-legged stool, the gathering of stones, even the summer day clues the reader in to the inevitable end of the lottery. Jackson uses abstract symbols such as her setting and character surnames, as well as concrete objects within her story to illustrate her theme of ritual sacrifice. Jackson's use of symbolism is more obvious in her description of concrete objects throughout her story.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    (Introduction) “The Lottery,” a short story by Shirley Jackson, is about a woman who has been selected for sacrifice by a lottery drawing. Tessie Hutchinson, and the rest of her town, are unfeeling about how the annual sacrifice affects the selected. However, they carry on with their tradition year after year, with no intent to make changes to meet modern day morals and needs. “The Lottery” is about blindly following tradition, the awareness of how cruel a practice sacrificing is, and how one’s mindset can change when they are the chosen one.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “ The Lottery”, written by Shirley Jackson, shows the corruption in a village whose people treat life with insignificance. Through the use of literary devices, Jackson portrays how practices in traditions can be barbaric;ultimately, resulting in persecution.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery is a short story written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, yet still, leaves a mark on any person who gets their hands on it today. The story starts out by setting an enjoyable atmosphere at the beginning of summer. The community gathers and the story almost fulfills the reader’s idea of a perfect town activity. However, the story has a sharp twist at the end that leaves the reader in shock. Jackson wrote the story to leave an impact and whom how quickly human nature can change. Shirley Jackson shows the duality of human nature in the characters of the children, Tessie Hutchinson, and Mr. Summers.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The story, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is about tradition. A word usually tied to happy events like anniversaries, family vacations, and holidays, Jackson presents the concept in a much more sinister light. While there are hints of what is to come, the events portrayed are similar to what one would expect to find in a small village's long standing custom.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays