Irony in The Lottery Essay

The Ironic Reality of Life

Shirley Jackson, the author of The Lottery, uses techniques that constantly build anticipation in the reader to prepare them for the shocking prize awaiting the end of the story. The Lottery is filled with irony throughout the story. The reader does not become conscious of the little pieces of irony that Jackson uses to build the anxiety until the ending shock; when the ironies are all tied together. The story seems to be about a typical reoccurring and happy event that happens every year. People typically think of the lottery as something spectacular that is won. No one would guess that death would be the prize waiting at the end of the story. Jackson uses several characteristics to develop the theme in the story.

Before beginning the story, the title itself gives an anticipation of some kind of windfall. The reader expects the lottery to be something of luxury. With the mind set that a prize is lurking somewhere in the story, the misapprehension begins with the opening paragraph of the story. The author paints the atmosphere of a beautiful, bright and sunny summer day in the first sentence: 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 (237). The reader can almost smell the delicate scent from the flowers in the warm clean air. The sentence gives a feeling of pleasure and a sense of ease. With the comfortable feeling from the first sentence the last sentence in the paragraph, time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner, is a confirmed simplicity in the readers mind (237). The thought that something bad will happen is not perceivable. The tone in the first paragraph is just the beginning of Jacksons techniques to prepare the reader for the shocking turn of event at the end of the story.

Jackson continues to build the anticipation in the reader through her writing techniques. She foreshadows the end and uses symbolic characters in the story to create unconscious irony. The children stuff their pockets with stones. The reader is lead to believe the boys are up to no good. When in reality they are preparing for the tragic event that will occur. Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves are both portrayed as greatly respected officials of the town. Mr. Summers, described as a happy person, is in charge of conducting the event. His name and character has a sense of innocence that gives the reader the same warm and fuzzy feeling as the tone at the beginning of the story. The irony is he is the person in charge of the event that will send one person to their (his or her) grave on this horrifying sunny summer day. Mr. Graves assists Mr. Summers as he carries in the little black box of death and swears in Mr. Summers. (Because this is specific information from the story, you should include the page number in a parenthetical citation.) Mr. Graves name symbolizes and foreshadows death which is another irony not realized until the end of the story.

Jacksons style alludes the reader towards thinking the towns people are happy about the event that is about to occur. The common folk of the town were gathered at the town square where all the dances and good times were held. The people were swapping gossip and talking nonchalantly to one another. Mr. Summers cheerfully greeted Mrs. Hutchinson when she was the last one to arrive at the drawing. When the drawing process begins, the first called up grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously (240). Jackson uses a third person point of view. This makes the element of surprise possible because the reader thinks the townspeople are laughing and having a good time but in reality we do not know what is actually going through their mind (They dont share one mind, so the word should be plural) their minds.

The theme in the story is life, no matter how warm, sunny or cheerful it appears, is evil. Jacksons cleverness to make the reader perceive the event as a casual traditional affair, keeps the readers attention until through the end of the story. The false illusion of something good, begins in the opening sentence of the story. The setting quickly changes at the end of the story when Jackson reveals the disturbing prize. A brutal death is what awaited the winner of this lottery. The reader is shocked as reality sets in.

Work Cited

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 237-244. Print.

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