The plot of the story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is set in a small town on a clear summer morning, where the villagers have gathered for the annual lottery. The lottery is a ritualistic event, and each head of a family draws a slip of paper from a black box that is handled by the town’s oldest citizen, Mr. Summers.
As it turns out, the slip of paper that is drawn has a black spot on it, which means that the person who picked it, Tessie Hutchinson, is the one chosen for the “winning” paper. The lottery culminates in the stoning death of Tessie Hutchinson by the townspeople.
The story outlined by this plot is morally ambiguous, as there is no definitive answer to the questions raised, leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions. The residents of this town have maintained the lottery for seven hundred years, with no clear explanation as to why it started or what it is for, which raises questions about the morality and ethics of a tradition that causes the death of an innocent person every year.
The story also raises complex questions about compliance, conformity and the lack of individual freedom in the town. Despite the fact that the lottery kills one person every year, the townspeople seem to accept its necessity without question, reinforcing the idea that it is better to go along with tradition than to ask questions.
What is ironic about the plot of the story the title the winner in lottery?
The irony of the story “The Winner in the Lottery” is that despite winning the lottery, the main character still experiences deterioration in her life. Despite becoming suddenly wealthy, she still loses her job, her home and her love, leaving her without any of the comforting ties she once had.
Furthermore, the other lottery winners have seemingly greatly benefited from their winnings, while her own have provided her with no hope or optimism. The phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” applies particularly well to this story, as the protagonist’s ambitions and dreams bring only disappointment and despair.
The irony is increased even further by the fact that the lottery had always been seen as a beacon of hope for the protagonist and her peers, the promise of the possibility for something better. However, the dismal outcome of her lottery win serves only to further entrench her in her present reality of misfortune and grief.
Who won the lottery in the short story?
In the short story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, there is no one official winner of the lottery. The story implies that everyone who lives in the small village participates in the lottery and each family draws one slip of paper.
The Hutchinson family draws the paper with a black dot on it, which symbolizes that Mr. Hutchinson is the one who is “chosen” to be the so-called “winner” of the lottery. However, in actuality this “win” is a death sentence, as the “winner” of the lottery is stoned to death by the other villagers as a sacrificial offering.
What the purpose of the ending in the lottery?
The purpose of the ending in the lottery is to bring the story full-circle and to make a moral statement about the nature of society and human nature. In the beginning, the town appears to be overly excited about the lottery, but in the end, we learn the true purpose of the lottery, which is to sacrifice a citizen in order to bring good luck and prosperity to the town.
The story is then ended with a haunting reminder that this annual ritual of violence and bloodshed continues despite the fact that most of the people participating don’t even understand why they are doing it.
Through this, the author shows that even in modern times, superstition and tradition still have a grip on the minds and hearts of everyday people. Ultimately, the author wants readers to question why this tradition continues and assess the moral implications of violence in society.
What is conflict in a story?
Conflict is an essential element of story-telling and refers to the opposition a protagonist encounters either from external forces (such as a rival or a natural disaster) or from internal forces (such as a character’s own conflicting emotions).
Conflict drives a story forward and helps the protagonist develop and grow throughout the narrative.
External conflicts may be person vs. person (such as when two characters are in direct competition with each other), person vs. nature (such as when a character battles a natural disaster) or person vs.
society (such as when a character must choose between social conventions and their own personal beliefs). Impersonal external forces, such as biology or genetics, may also cause a conflict within the narrative.
Internal conflict arises when a character experiences a conflict within themselves, such as the struggle between two opposing emotions, the desire to do the right thing and the fear of the consequences, or between their own goals and desires and those of someone else.
Internal conflict can be a powerful way to bring a character to life and to have them confront their own deepest challenges.
Conflict is necessary for a story to progress, as it creates tension, suspense, and reveals aspects of a character’s personality that would otherwise remain untouched. Ultimately, conflict is a vital tool for writers, as it gives a story purpose, and allows for moments of resolution and change for the protagonist.
What type of conflict is given when the main character is placed at odds with society the government or cultural norms and tradition?
In literature, the type of conflict given when the main character is placed at odds with society, the government, or cultural norms and traditions is known as social or external conflict. This type of conflict involves opposition between the protagonist and powerful forces in their environment, such as laws, cultural beliefs and social institutions.
Examples of social conflict can be seen in stories where the protagonist struggles to resolve inequality, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination, censorship, or in stories where the main characters challenge a government’s control over its citizens.
This type of conflict often involves the protagonist in a struggle to maintain their own ideologies and beliefs while also dealing with societal pressure and criticism from those who believe differently.
It can be seen in stories from ancient times to modern day, and tends to provide a valuable insight into the context and culture of the time.
How does the plot of the lottery build its theme?
The plot of “The Lottery” is a powerful tool for conveying its theme. To begin, the story starts with the villagers gathering in the town square as they do every year for the lottery. This establishes a sense of tradition and an unquestioned acceptance of the ritual.
Meanwhile, the characters’ actions and dialogue demonstrate a variety of responses to the lottery; some of the men greet it with pleasure, while others express dread and discomfort. We see Tessie Hutchinson, who has drawn the “winning” paper, plead desperately for someone else to take her place.
Even then, no-one attempts to help her. This reveals the characters’ unwillingness to go against the group in a moral way, which further emphasizes the theme of mob mentality and its dangerous consequences.
The lottery ritual itself further reinforces the theme by contrasting the excitement of the game with its grim conclusion. Initially, the children are eagerly picking up stones in hopes of being the one to detain “Old Del” and the anticipation heightened by the suspense of drawing the papers from the old black box.
Then, when Tessie is revealed to have the “winning” paper, the atmosphere suddenly turns grim; her desperate pleas to be spared and her husband’s refusal to help her stand in stark contrast with the cheering and singing of the gathered townspeople.
In this way, the lottery not only reveals the moral depravity of the community, but also demonstrates the lengths people can go to when in the grip of group-think.
Overall, the plot of “The Lottery” effectively builds its theme by illustrating how blindly following traditions can lead to moral corruption, and how mercilessly individuals can be judged by their peers.
The conclusion of the story provides a particularly powerful image of the danger of mob mentality, showing that despite any attempts by an individual to escape their fate, the community’s judgment will remain final.
How does the mood of the lottery change from beginning to end?
The mood of the lottery changes drastically from beginning to end. At the outset, the residents of the small town take part in the annual ritual with an air of excitement and anticipation. The children of the village collect stones, sneak peeks at the black box and chatter brightly, as, for them, it is an exciting day, full of expectation and hope.
On the other hand, the adults are relatively somber, but anxious.
The mood of the people degrades steadily as the lottery progresses. As soon as the winner of the lottery is revealed to be Tess, who is not expecting it, her friends and family all instantly change from joy to despair, emphasizing the terrifying and serious nature of the event. Even Mrs.
Hutchinson, the winner’s mother, is shocked and confused at her daughter’s fate. The rest of the people slowly realize what is about to happen and instantly, the joy that was present at the beginning has turned to dread.
By the end of the story, the mood is extremely grim. The people of the village have gathered around with stones in their hands, ready and willing to carry out the lottery and its terrifying consequences, with no hesitation.
The faces of those in the circle are rigid and grey, conveying a strong sense of inexorability and grief as they watch Tess’s eventual demise. The mood of the lottery has changed entirely since its beginning, changing from joy and optimism to sorrow and dread.
