“The Lottery” Reading Quiz
1. When does the story take place? (June 27)
2. Why are all of the villagers meeting in the centre of town? (for the annual lottery)
3. What are the three boys doing before the meeting? (piling stones in the corner of the town square)
4. Why do the villagers feel badly for Mr. Summers, the man who runs the auction? (he has no family)
5. Why don’t the villagers make a new black box even though the current lottery box is old and falling
apart? (they don’t want to mess with tradition)
6. Why is it important that no one remembers the former rituals of opening the lottery? (they do
things just because they always have, not because they remember the meaning why)
7. Who arrives late to the lottery? (Mrs. Hutchinson)
8. Why is Old Man Warner convinced that giving up the lottery is a crazy idea? (because there’s always
been one)
9. Why does it matter that Bill Hutchinson draws a paper with a mark on it? (it means that someone in
his family must die)
10. What is on Mrs. Hutchinson’s piece of paper after the second draw of the lottery? (a black mark
made of coal)
11. Why does Mrs. Hutchinson want her daughter to take part in the second draw even though she
knows her daughter is exempt? (she is trying to increase the odds of her own survival; she is willing
to risk her daughter’s life to improve her own chance of survival)
12. What does Mrs. Hutchinson keep saying after the first draw of the lottery? (It’s not fair)
13. Why does someone tell Mrs. Hutchinson to “be a good sport” about the lottery results? (everyone
stood the same risk)
14. What do the villagers do with the stones the young boys collected at the beginning of the story?
(throw them at whoever loses the lottery)
Bonus
What is the point of the lottery? (no one remembers; tradition is the only remaining reason)