EN 11
Ms. Vadacchino
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
You may answer these questions in point form but EVERYONE in your group must write their own answers
and you must provide evidence. I know there are a lot, but this is a complex story and these questions
should help you understand it.
1. All the characters in this story are flat characters. What type of people do they represent? Think about the
attitude each character has towards the lottery. What does this reveal about them? Consider: Tessie,
Summers, Old Man Warner, the Adamses, Mrs. Delacroix, and Mrs. Dunbar.
2. This story has many symbols in it. Let’s start with the names. Make a chart explaining what each of these
names symbolizes and how they connect to the character: Summers, Graves, Old Man Warner, Adams,
Delacroix (you need to know a little French and a little about Christianity to answer this one.)
3. How does the author create suspense?
4. Find three examples of irony and explain why they are ironic. Also include the type of irony.
5. Find three examples of foreshadowing.
6. What narrative point of view is the story told in? Why would the author choose this POV?
7. What does the box symbolize? What is the significance of it becoming shabbier but nobody wanting to fix it?
8. Reread the second paragraph very carefully. What does Jackson seem to be suggesting about children,
specifically boys? How does this relate to Lord of the Flies?
9. Who are the most important people in this town and what are their jobs – both in life and during the lottery?
10. How has the lottery evolved over time? What does this evolution suggest?
11. How might Tessie be a rebel? How is she really really awful?
12. Why do the villagers think it might be the Dunbars or the Watsons who have selected the black dot? What do
these two families have in common? What does this reveal about the villagers’ belief in the lottery?
13. Even though the lottery is random, Jackson chose Tessie as its victim. Look up the word “scapegoat”. Does
Tessie function as a scapegoat? Did Simon function as a scapegoat in Lord of the Flies? Would you say these
two characters are similar?
14. What is the purpose of the lottery, as stated in the story?
15. Why did Ms. V give you the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” handout before we read the story?
16. What is Jackson trying to say about society and human nature in this story? What is the theme?
17. How can you relate this story to present-day society? Think of a custom that we have that you think is outdated and should be changed, but probably will not because people are too used to it.
In 1948, The New Yorker published the most controversial short story in its history: "The Lottery" by Shirley
Jackson, a 31-year-old wife and mother living in Vermont. The simply told tale covers a ritual lottery in a
sunny, rural town. But what starts out bathed in warmth and charm grows eerier and eerier, until the
horrific purpose of the lottery is revealed in the story's final paragraphs. Soon after the piece was published,
angry letters poured in to The New Yorker. Readers cancelled their subscriptions. And while many claimed
they didn't understand the story, the intense reaction indicated they understood it all too well.
"The Lottery" was published at a time when the United States was scrambling for conformity. Following
World War II, the general public wanted to leave behind the horrors of war and genocide. They craved
comfort, normalcy, and old-fashioned values. Jackson’s story provides a cutting commentary to this
attitude. You must consider how she does this when you read the story.