SHIRLEY JACKSON
What is a lottery?
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Exploitation—use someone for profit
Fill in for—to take someone’s place
Assemble---gather together
A slip of paper—small piece of paper
Paraphernalia—personal things, something you need for an activity.
Reluctantly ---slow to do something because you don’t want to
Shabby--poorly dressed
Fade---lose color, freshness or strength
Reprimand----express disapproval (to a person) severely
Liberty--being free
Stuff—not important things
Stain—dirty, usually on clothes
Swear in---cause someone to take the oath of office
Make do with---to use something which is not what you want to use
Inevitable--will happen
Enthusiasm--strong feeling of admiration or interest
Small town family people.
 Housewives, husbands, children.
 Mr. Summers, who owns the
coal company, and Mr. Graves,
the postmaster.
 Old Man Warner
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SMALL TOWN AMERICA
Everyone knows
everyone.
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. The people of the village
began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank,
around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people that
the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in
this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the
whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten
o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the
villagers to get home for noon dinner.
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1. Who participates in the lottery?
2. What do you think the atmosphere is on the day of
the lottery, according to the first paragraph of the
story?
Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children,
speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood
together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes
were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women,
wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their
menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as
they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by
their husbands, began to call their children, and the children came
reluctantly, having to be called four or five times.
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What other details do you learn about the town from this
paragraph?
Guess what the possible prize for the Lottery could be if it is
held in all of the neighboring towns.
My guess is:
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1. It can be acceptable to have a person sacrifice
for the greater good.
2. The story illustrates how difficult it is to
give up a tradition, even when we know it is
wrong.
3. People can come up with reasons to do bad
things.
4. How brutal human beings are. We are
shocked at the brutal killing of one person, but
we kill millions for unclear reasons.
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When does the lottery take place?
What can you say about the people of the town?
What role does Old Man Warner play?
The lottery is carried on by Mr. Summers, who owns the coal company,
and Mr. Graves, the postmaster. What do the names and the objects hint
at?
Usually a lottery is something good. When do you begin to suspect that,
in this case, no one wants to “win” the lottery?
What is the “procedure” of the lottery?
What is the reaction of Old Man Warner to the fact that in the north
village “they’re talking of giving up the lottery”?
What does the saying “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” hint at?
What does the story imply about traditions and ceremonies?
What does the story imply about religion?
What does the story imply about family loyalties?
What does the story imply about human nature?