Name_____________________________
Cooper 8 English
Class Notes
Section______
November 1, 2013
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Story Elements:
I.
CHARACTER:
Stories happen to people, and characters are the people found in a story. Stories tend to have a main character
(protagonist), the character of greatest interest to the reader and the one who must confront the story’s conflict (problem). An author develops a
character through what the character does, says, and thinks, and through how other characters react to him or her.
Question:
Who is the main character of this story? How do others see her? What is expected of her (and of everyone else) in this moment?
The main character of the story is Tessie Hutchinson. The others see her as a member of the community of this village of 300, a woman raised
in their shared traditions. Tessie is the wife of Bill Hutchinson, and the mother of four: Eva (married), Bill, Jr., Nancy, and Davey. She is just like
everyone else.
She, like everyone else, is expected to participate in the annual tradition of the lottery. This means she is expected to risk her life and the lives
of her family, and, if not selected, to then participate in the murder of a neighbor (and perhaps even a family member).
II.
SETTING:
Stories are set in a particular place and time. The setting provides an essential context for the story's plot--- the story arises
naturally from its setting. Setting also includes conditions--- worries, concerns, attitudes, and biases--- that exist within this time and place.
Question:
What is the main setting found within this story--- where is the character primarily? When does the story take place?
The setting is a farming village of about 300 people. The date is June 27th at about 10:00 in the morning, the day of the annual tradition of the
lottery. The action of the story takes place at the town square where the entire village gathers, standing together in family groups. The community
appears to be tightly bond together.
What is the central value or belief within this setting? What effect does this belief/value have on the main character?
The central value of this community is to live by and honor the community’s traditions as Tessie, along with her family, must participate in the
tradition of the lottery.
Name_____________________________
Cooper 8 English
Section______
November 1, 2013
III.
POINT OF VIEW:
POV is the voice an author uses to tell or narrate the story; the narrator can be inside the story as a participant in the
story’s action (1st person) or outside the story as an observer and reporter of the story’s action (3rd person).
Question:
What type of narration is used in this story?
The point of view is third person, objective. The narrator reveals only the words and actions of the characters. The reader never sees what is
happening in the minds of the characters.
IV.
PLOT:
Plot is the series of events that a reader encounters in the story, usually unfolding in chronological (time) order. Plot centers
around the CONFLICT (or problem) that faces the main character. This conflict is resolved by the story's CLIMAX.
Question:
What is the conflict facing the main character? With whom is she in conflict? What does she want more than anything else?
As the ritual unfolds, the tradition threatens the lives of Tessie and her family. Tessie’s concern is that she will lose her life through the
tradition. She comes into conflict with her neighbors and community members, including her own family. She wants to live more than anything else,
even more than protecting her own children.
What moment is the story's CLIMAX? How does this moment resolve the conflict facing the main character?
The climatic moment is when the story reveals that Tessie has been selected for murder by her neighbors as the final act of this tradition. The
resolution is a tragic one for Tessie; she will not survive this year’s tradition.
How does the story’s climax affect the lives of these characters? How does life continue in this village? What do you imagine the
characters doing soon after this event?
Apart from the loss of one of its members, a woman who has been a wife and mother to one of its families, nothing seems to have changed for
the community as a result of this day’s events. One character, Old Man Warner, reminds the villagers that this is his 77th year in the lottery, so the
reader understands that this is an event that simply occurs every year with a new victim and family being affected each year. The villagers keep
mentioning the need to hurry up in order to finish, and this gives the sense that this is an unpleasant task they must do, so rather than prolong the
experience, they just want to be done with it. Soon after finishing, they will return to their lives, with the Hutchinson family left to figure out how to
proceed.