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Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”: Elements of the Story

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Updated: Jun 19th, 2022

Introduction

Literary Elements in “The Lottery”

The setting of “The Lottery”

The plot of “The Lottery”

Сonflict in “The Lottery”

Characters of “The Lottery”

“The Lottery” Themes

Conclusion

Works Cited

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Introduction

Short stories are a common form of fiction in American Literature. The prose writing that is usually
employed in short stories depends on how the author organizes and presents his/her work of literature.
The length of short stories is not relevant to their quality. The American literature portfolio features
some renowned masters of this craft. Some of the greatest short-story writers include Edgar Poe, Jack
London, Mark Twain, and Stephen Crane.
Literary Elements in “The Lottery”

A good short story has to have a combination of five elements. These elements include plot, setting,
character, plot, conflict, and theme. The quality of any short story depends on how well these elements
have been employed. An example of a short story that successfully employs these elements is “The
Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. “The Lottery” is a story about human atrocities that happen within a village.
Although when the story was first published, it received massive criticism around the world, today it is
regarded as one of the greatest stories in the history of literature (Hattenhauer 43). This paper explores
how the elements of a short story are used in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.

The setting of “The Lottery”

The setting of “The Lottery” is in a small town that resembles most American small towns. The village is
consisted of about three hundred residents who are both excited and terrified by the idea of an annual
‘lottery’ ritual. The ritual takes place in a beautiful summer day in June (Jackson 234). All the villagers
including children are obligated to participate in this ritual. The setting of “The Lottery” is synonymous
with the setting in most small towns of the 1930s. When the book was published, most of the protest
against it came from such towns (Oppenheimer 32). The author was able to capture the readers’
attention by presenting them with a familiar setting.

The plot of “The Lottery”

The plot of “The Lottery” revolves around a ritual known as the lottery that is performed in villages
everywhere. The ritual is meant to ensure that the sins of the village are forgiven so that the annual
harvest is not compromised. When the villagers are preparing for the ritual, one of them quotes a local
proverb that says that “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (Jackson 234). The lottery ritual involved
each family drawing lots from a box. The family that draws the lot with a black spot has to sacrifice one
of its family members.

The man running “The Lottery” is Mr. Summers, a man who carries out several duties on behalf of the
village. The ritual ends with the chosen person being stoned to death by the village mob. The plot in the
story is well formulated to include an introduction, a climax, and an ending. Jackson’s story provides the
reader with a sensational climax where one of the villagers is being picked for elimination. The ending of
the story also leaves the readers in awe because most of them had thought that somehow the sacrificial
human being would be spared.

Сonflict in “The Lottery”

The element of conflict is used reservedly in the story. In the beginning of the story, it seems like there is
no conflict as the villagers gather in unison for the annual lottery. The only hint of conflict at this time is
the rumor going around that some villagers are considering abandoning the lottery ritual. One of the
villagers Mrs. Adams even claims that the lottery is no longer practiced in some villages but she is
opposed by the Old Man Warner (Jackson 235). There seems to be an internal psychological conflict
because most of the villagers do not seem supportive of the lottery even if they engage in the ritual.
However, the conflict becomes physical and external when Tessie Hutchinson begins protesting her
execution.

Characters of “The Lottery”

The element of character is well implemented in the story with the main antagonist being the lottery
itself. The protagonist in “The Lottery” is the human will. The villagers represent the will of human
beings to continue with a tradition they dislike. Most of the characters in story conform to this battle of
the human will and finally the ritual goes on as planned.

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“The Lottery” Themes

There are several themes in “The Lottery” but the most prominent theme is the danger of blind
tradition. The villagers do not question the relevance of this tradition and their only reason for not doing
so is that it is a tradition. The author shows the absurdity of this concept by presenting people from all
lifestyles in a single united front. The other main theme in this story is family unity.

Conclusion

In the lottery, it is every family for itself. However, as the lottery proceeds family members are forced to
turn against each other. The fact that a family has to lose one member for its own benefit complicates
matters even more. In the 1950s, the issue of family unity was a popular topic in America and that is
probably why Jackson chose this theme (Oppenheimer 223).

The author of “The Lottery” has successfully used all the elements of a short story. The result of this
usage is a story with strong themes, great characters, an exquisite setting, and an easily understandable
plot. The ensemble of these elements makes this story interesting and relevant to its readers.
Works Cited

Hattenhauer, Darryl. Shirley Jackson’s American Gothic, New York, NY: SUNY Press, 2003. Print.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery and Other Stories, London, United Kingdom: Penguin, 2009. Print.

Oppenheimer, Judy. Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson, New York, NY: Putnam, 1988. Print.

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