Author Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years. She has influenced such writers as Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Nigel Kneale and Richard Matheson.[1] She is best known for the short story "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests a secret, sinister underside to bucolic small-town America. In her critical biography of Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when "The Lottery" was published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received". Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse".[2]
In a small town of three hundred people, there is a lottery held in the town center. Everyone in the town attends the event: the children, the men and the women. In this town, at ten o’clock in the morning, the event starts. At the end of the lottery, everyone goes back to work.
Stones and pebbles are collected to celebrate the end of the event. No one is left out; even the children can be a part of the celebration. Boys gather the stones and pebbles to celebrate with the town. Men share some jokes about work and other things to make the mood happier. Of course, the women have to be present with their children and their men to make it as a family outing to enjoy or not.
Mr. Summers, the host of the event amoung others, is the one to kick off any of the town event. With the help of Mr. Graves, the event starts with a black box and paper slips with every name of the head of the family.
Although the lottery is done every year, no one can remember the meaning of it. Not even Old Man Warner, the oldest person in the town, cannot remember the meaning of the lottery. As the meaning of the lottery was forgotten; the black box’s apperrance seems to disappear with time. Some towns had already quit the lottery; but Old Man Warner believes they need the lottery to move on and only fools would stop the tradition.
As the each head of the family drew their slips out, the people wait until the last draw was made to open their slips and find the winner. To find the winner, Mr. Summer drew a black dot on the slips of paper.
To the much luck of Mr. Hutchinson had won the prize to draw again as well as his entire family. This time, the children were able to draw from the black box. Little Dave, who is at a very young age, had to draw from the black box. Nancy at the age of twelve drew from the black box. Bill Jr. drew as well as Mrs. and Mr. Hutchinson.
However it was Mrs. Hutchinson that was the unlucky winner to get the black dot on the second draw. Everyone circled her as they carried the stones the boys brought to the town center. Mrs. Hutchinson screamed to her death as everyone threw their stones.
1. What is the purpose of having the lottery? A: To pass down the tradition and make the corn have a plentiful harvest.
2. Why doesn’t the town abolish the lottery? A: The elders believe if the lottery is abolished then it will cause trouble.
3. How does the story present an unexpected ending? A: The story start in a warm sunny day and everyone is happy to have the lottery, but the ending of the story is the one who won the lottery is going to be stone to death.
Author
ReplyDeleteShirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years. She has influenced such writers as Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Nigel Kneale and Richard Matheson.[1]
She is best known for the short story "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests a secret, sinister underside to bucolic small-town America. In her critical biography of Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when "The Lottery" was published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received". Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse".[2]
Summary
ReplyDeleteIn a small town of three hundred people, there is a lottery held in the town center. Everyone in the town attends the event: the children, the men and the women. In this town, at ten o’clock in the morning, the event starts. At the end of the lottery, everyone goes back to work.
Stones and pebbles are collected to celebrate the end of the event. No one is left out; even the children can be a part of the celebration. Boys gather the stones and pebbles to celebrate with the town. Men share some jokes about work and other things to make the mood happier. Of course, the women have to be present with their children and their men to make it as a family outing to enjoy or not.
Mr. Summers, the host of the event amoung others, is the one to kick off any of the town event. With the help of Mr. Graves, the event starts with a black box and paper slips with every name of the head of the family.
Although the lottery is done every year, no one can remember the meaning of it. Not even Old Man Warner, the oldest person in the town, cannot remember the meaning of the lottery. As the meaning of the lottery was forgotten; the black box’s apperrance seems to disappear with time. Some towns had already quit the lottery; but Old Man Warner believes they need the lottery to move on and only fools would stop the tradition.
As the each head of the family drew their slips out, the people wait until the last draw was made to open their slips and find the winner. To find the winner, Mr. Summer drew a black dot on the slips of paper.
To the much luck of Mr. Hutchinson had won the prize to draw again as well as his entire family. This time, the children were able to draw from the black box. Little Dave, who is at a very young age, had to draw from the black box. Nancy at the age of twelve drew from the black box. Bill Jr. drew as well as Mrs. and Mr. Hutchinson.
However it was Mrs. Hutchinson that was the unlucky winner to get the black dot on the second draw. Everyone circled her as they carried the stones the boys brought to the town center. Mrs. Hutchinson screamed to her death as everyone threw their stones.
Source:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jackson
http://wp.stockton.edu/gongma/summary/
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. What is the purpose of having the lottery?
A: To pass down the tradition and make the corn have a plentiful harvest.
2. Why doesn’t the town abolish the lottery?
A: The elders believe if the lottery is abolished then it will cause trouble.
3. How does the story present an unexpected ending?
A: The story start in a warm sunny day and everyone is happy to have the lottery, but the ending of the story is the one who won the lottery is going to be stone to death.