The Lottery 17

The Lottery 17

  • Submitted By: razas
  • Date Submitted: 11/22/2008 6:38 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 685
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 1

Shirley Jackson uses examples of irony throughout her short story, “The Lottery.” The title itself is ironic; one would think this is a happy story because the lottery conotates hope and happiness. But this story is a story that ends with misery. Jackson uses situational, verbal, dramatic, and visional irony in “The Lottery,” and these are exemplified by looking at how Mrs. Hutchinson’s, examining her desires that culminate into significant action, and by determining what message the author is really trying to convey by this character.
Mrs. Hutchinson or Tessie desperately wants the lottery to end yet she is too afraid of being different to tell anyone. She wants so badly to forget this day “June 27th” even exists. In her mind she can not figure out why the village is still holding the lottery and how it began in the first place. We know this because Tessie “hurriedly along the path to the square” (411) and then said “clean forgot what day it was” (411) when what she should have said is “I tried to forget what day it was.” She should have not worried about being different only honest and then she may not have run into her dreadful situation.
Tessie did not speak up until she found out that her husband drew the block dot, which meant that someone from the family was doomed. By this point she is beginning to wonder why she had not spoke up earlier and is it too late to speak up now. Mrs. Hutchinson then scrambles to find the words to get herself out of the current situation. She even goes as far as to offer up her daughter and son-in-law. This was the not the brightest thing to do for it was still a family member that would have to draw. At this point Mrs. Hutchinson is trying everything she can to get out of the lottery she shouts out to them “you didn’t give him enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair.” This is desperation anything to get her family out of this mess.
Now she has done everything she can and none of it is...

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