Road Map: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Essential Questions
 If the majority of the people are doing something, does it make it right?
 Can good people do evil things?
 What keeps a society or community together?
 What purpose do rituals and traditions serve in a society?
 Why do people sometimes engage in pointless violence and inhumanity?
Literary Elements
Irony—when what actually occurs is the opposite of what you might expect to happen
Mood/Atmosphere—the feeling you get from reading the story
Theme—the main message of the story
Foreshadowing—the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later
Getting Things Straight
1.
What is the mood or atmosphere in the first paragraph?
2.
Why was everyone assembled in the square?
3.
What were the boys playing with?
4.
What is the setting of the story? Are there any details that are not specified?
5.
Predict: What do you think the black box is for?
6.
From whose point of view is the story being told? (Who do you think is telling the story?)
7.
Why didn’t people want to replace the box?
8.
How long do you think the lottery has been around for?
9.
Who directs the lottery?
10. What happened with Mrs. Hutchinson? Who are the two women she talks to? (3)
11. What will happen because Clyde Dunbar broke his leg?
12. Predict: What do you think the lottery is for? Do you think it is a positive thing or a negative thing? Why? (3-4)
13. How does Old Man Warner respond to talk about giving up the lottery?
14. What does he say is the reason or purpose of the lottery?
15. What does he say will happen without a lottery?
16. Who’s got the lottery ticket?
17. How does the wife respond? Who does she think should be included in her family?
18. Predict again: do you think people want to pick the lottery ticket? Why?
19. What do all the Hutchinson kids have to do now?
20. What have the villagers not forgotten?
21. What do Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Dunbar start to do?
22. What happens to Mrs. Hutchinson at the end?